By Valerie Richardson - The Washington Times - Monday, February 5, 2024

An Oklahoma City elementary-school principal who moonlights as a drag queen has resigned in what the state superintendent called a “big win” for schools.

Shane Murnan, principal of John Glenn Elementary School in the Western Heights School District, stepped down last week after months of scrutiny into his drag persona as well as a charge of child-pornography possession that was dismissed more than 20 years ago.

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters, who announced Mr. Murnan’s resignation, called it a “great day for Oklahoma schools.”

“Big win today: The drag queen is out at Western Heights,” said Mr. Walters in a video post last week.

“I’ve demanded it from day one. This individual shouldn’t be in a school. You should not be working with young kids. I heard it from parents all over the state, all over the country. This is not what parents want for their kids,” he said.

He also said the state would investigate the decision by Western Heights to hire Mr. Murnan, saying “we will ensure that those individuals that allowed that to happen will be held accountable.”

“What is going on with their hiring practices? Why would the superintendent allow this individual in the schools?” Mr. Walters asked. “We are just now beginning our investigation into how these things happen, and further ramifications for the school. It will not be tolerated here in Oklahoma to have drag queens in the classroom.”

Mr. Murnan told NonDoc, a nonprofit news publication, in a Friday interview that he submitted his “forced” resignation on Jan. 26 after Western Heights officials told him he could resign or be fired.

The Washington Times has reached out to the district for comment.

He was promoted in June to be principal after 26 years in public education, including a stint as an assistant principal, but the district was hit with a backlash two months later after Libs of TikTok ran an expose on his drag-queen persona and previous arrest.

Mr. Murnan performed in wigs, heavy make-up, and risqué costumes under the name “Shantel Mandalay.” In 2021, he read books to children while in drag as part of an online event for Pride Month sponsored by the Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma County.

In September, Mr. Murnan said that he had received multiple death threats. The uproar prompted him to pause his weekly performances at The Boom, a gay bar in Oklahoma City.

“Back in that time, being gay was not acceptable,” he told NonDoc. “I mean, that was [nearly] 25 years ago. And being gay wasn’t acceptable.”

He also said that the 2002 child-pornography possession case was part of a “witch hunt.”

Four deleted images were found on his computer, but prosecutors declined to appeal after a judge dismissed the charge over doubts about whether they could prove he was in possession of the pictures. The charge was later expunged.

Mr. Murnan recently went on paid administrative leave after a semester in which he worked remotely for much of the time over concerns about security, resulting in about $65,000 in additional costs for the district, according to the Oklahoman.

The Western Heights School District addressed the charges after hiring him last year to lead the elementary school.

“Recently, the district has been made aware of previous charges that were dismissed more than 20 years ago,” said the district in a June statement. “Dr. Murnan has been serving the field of education for more than 25 years and has an outstanding reputation. He comes highly recommended by previous supervisors, colleagues, and educators.”

• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.

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