STILLWATER, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) –
When Will They Learn? Oklahoma public schools and police departments are expecting the taxpayers to pay for their intentional harm to Oklahoma families.
For years, parents across Oklahoma have faced unnecessary roadblocks in exercising their rights, particularly when it comes to protecting their children and accessing their children’s accurate school records. Stillwater Public Schools (SPS) and the Stillwater Police Department (SPS) are prime examples of a district government entangled in administrative turmoil, going broke from mismanagement and legal costs, cannot keep a superintendent hired for longer than one year, have had children kill themselves in their schools, have had teachers sexting students, yet instead of prioritizing ethical decision-making, they continue to violate fundamental parental rights. At all costs. These towns just do not have the funds to play lawfare on behalf of every Tom, Dick, and townie. Ask Ringling, Oklahoma public schools for a fair assessment of my statement.
This issue isn’t just about one case it is about a larger pattern of misconduct that punishes parents while shielding institutions from accountability. My case is not stand alone. Knowing that my case is not a standalone and knowing that there have been terrible criminal acts against students at at Stillwater Junior High School in the recent past, I deserve to know and demand to know everything about my children while they attend to SJHS.
Denying Access to School Records: A Low Blow
Under both Oklahoma state law and federal law (FERPA – Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), parents have the legal right to access their child’s educational records. Unless a court order explicitly restricts these rights, a biological parent cannot be denied access to school documents. Yet, schools like Stillwater Public Schools have seemingly ignored these laws, denying records to certain parents based on arbitrary and unjustified reasoning.
For 8 years, I have personally fought against this injustice, facing continuous resistance and bureaucratic delays. Instead of transparency and fairness, SPS and its administrators have chosen secrecy and obstruction. One year I have access to the records and then I’m critical of Stillwater public schools, or maybe the ex-wife has a new love of her life, and now I’m not allowed access to my children’s school records. Our latest war was Stillwater public schools started February 7, 2025 when I attempted to login and download school records and check attendance. I was denied access and found that my complete account was deleted from the Stillwater student portal access point for parents of children that attend Stillwater public schools. However part of a file of mine was kept and it was notes of a counselor that worked at one of my children’s grade school years ago. Her note stated that I was to be denied access to all records. The person no longer works at the schools. I will be posting more content at the footer of this article, from our request for information from Stillwater Public schools.
Selective Enforcement and the Media’s Silence
If this situation involved someone with more political or social leverages, a state employee, an illegal immigrant, or someone who fit into a politically favored demographics this story might already be making headlines. But when it is an everyday father demanding fair treatment, the issue is conveniently swept under the rug.
This is about politics; it is about fairness. There is no crime and there is no law or order keeping me from my children’s records. Just the feelings of a couple people when they want to flex, speak on things they know nothing about, or intimidate. All parents, regardless of background, deserve equal access to their child’s school records and education. Yet, when officials fear legal exposure, they resort to dirty tricks to avoid accountability.
A Pattern of Avoidance: Schools and Police Departments Alike
The Failure of the System: When Schools, Police, and Courts Enable Child Withholding and Neglect
Stillwater Public Schools is not alone in its unethical treatment of parents. The Stillwater Police Department has also played a role in enabling these violations. Instead of ensuring that parental rights are upheld, law enforcement often refuses to intervene or, worse, sides with the very institutions that are breaking the law.
For years, I have fought to ensure my child received the education and care he deserved. But what I encountered was a system that repeatedly failed him—one that dismissed the importance of education, ignored signs of abuse, and prioritized convenience over justice.
When Education Is Devalued, Children Suffer
In both custody and criminal trials, I have argued the importance of education. But the reality is that my son, Peyton, was raised in an environment where education was not valued. His mother and her family did not see education as a priority—neither his grandfather nor grandmother graduated high school. The courts, however, did not view this as a concern.
The same courts that dismissed the dangers of a mother with a history of not returning home from her stripping job and continued methamphetamine use also failed to see the risks of allowing Peyton to be influenced by an uncle who was functionally illiterate. Meanwhile, I—a father with a Master’s degree in Science and extensive experience in safety-sensitive jobs—was repeatedly denied my rightful role in his education.
The outcomes speak for themselves.
Peyton’s Decline: The Consequences of a Broken System
Around 2015, while living in Watkinsville, Georgia, Peyton stopped attending school entirely. I was systematically blocked from his life, a direct result of his mother’s resentment over reduced child support payments and her desire to move forward with a new relationship. I was very happy for her, but her resentment poor decisions were killing her own child.
Her focus shifted to her new husband and the family she planned to build with him. Peyton became a casualty of their selfishness. On their wedding night, they gave Peyton so much alcohol that he suffered from alcohol poisoning. His new stepfather mocked him, humiliating him in front of everyone.
What they didn’t understand—or simply didn’t care about—was that Peyton was already in a fragile mental state. He was a severely depressed, mentally ill teenager, struggling with the trauma of neglect, emotional abuse, and the turmoil of his parents’ divorce. According to Ashley’s best friend, a primary school assignment was to be completed and turned in regarding what their mother did for a living, and according to Ashley’s friend Peyton wrote that his mother “sucked dick”. This is not healthy for a child to exhibit and not one person in the school contacted me in regards.
To make matters worse, the medical treatment he received only exacerbated his condition. The medications he was prescribed were actively damaging his body—causing organ failure and brain tissue deterioration—while his home life subjected him to further abuse.
Peyton was given methamphetamine and Vyvanse by his mother and an uncle, Ray McElroy of Athens, Georgia. His mother had multiple arrests for driving under the influence, and reports of physical violence between Peyton and his stepfather were ignored.
A System That Apologizes Only After Tragedy Strikes…Just Kidding They Do Not
As his biological father, I fought for access to Peyton’s school records and well-being, but the Oconee County School District blocked me at every turn. I knew something was wrong, but instead of being granted access to critical information about my son, I was stonewalled. Because he wasn’t attending school regularly and no one was making him. Instead of being held accountable the school allowed mom to have another flimsy excuse and blame the father for being harassing. The exact reasons why I had to file for full custody of Peyton and his sister Laney Moyer when they were in grade school in Texas. Their mother nor the county made the children go to school. Just three weeks attended at the Waco Texas elementary school. Thank God the school called me in Houston because they were guarding off the Texas Department of family and children services plans on the mother and her boyfriend.
Only after the worst-case scenario unfolded—when Peyton shot and killed his mother and stepfather in 2021—did the system acknowledge its mistakes. Defamed prosecutor Deborah Gonzalez did not place any medical records into the plea agreement notes or trial. Peyton was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life. Peyton had never been to a counselor but had been given a psychotropic drug since he was 15 called Invega. The drug was ordered by the court and of course the biological father myself, was ignored when pleading that this was a terrible idea. It was only after his convictions that we truly were able to see the extent of neglect in his life. Apologies were made by a couple people that could have made a difference, records were finally provided, and the restrictions were lifted—but it was too late. The Watkinsville Police Department though, they never admitted their wrongdoings. The “Family” courts they never admit their wrongdoings. So it is our responsibility as parents to care for our children, hell or high water, new boyfriend/husband or not…. the biological parents matter.
Lessons Still Not Learned
What happened to Peyton is a testament to a larger systemic failure—one that continues today. Politics. Corruption. Stripping away the unalienable rights of parents. Schools refuse to grant biological parents access to their children’s records. Law enforcement refuses to hold them accountable. Courts turn a blind eye to blatant neglect, abuse, and obstruction of justice.
This raises serious concerns: Who is holding these entities accountable? How many other parents in Oklahoma have faced similar injustices, being denied basic rights simply because school administrators and local law enforcement believe they won’t fight back? Will this happen to my two daughters that are still in primary school?
The Fight for Parental Rights Must Continue
Today we are facing the same issue with ex wife two (praying I make the third work) in Stillwater Oklahoma. Her new and handsome husband is popular in town, but doesn’t have the guts to talk to dad, but wants to play dad. I question the character of that kind of guy. The mom is mad because child abuse complaints were made, abuse that she admitted. The Family courts are bought and paid for we all know that….. but here we are alienated from two children whom we once or bonded very closely. And here we are again with a new school district, a different state, two kids in a bad state of mind, and us fighting for access to parenting and school records. Fighting against a public school trying to play favorites in a matter in which they have no right to do so, irregardless of the popularity of the local Stillwater Oklahoma townie.
Parents across Oklahoma must demand that school districts and law enforcement agencies respect and uphold parental rights. The law is clear, parents have the right to be involved in their child’s education, and schools cannot arbitrarily block access to records.
How are you posting each step of the process I took to hold those people accountable that did harm to my family. For now, for those facing similar struggles, here’s what you can do:
1. Know Your Rights; Familiarize yourself with FERPA and Oklahoma laws regarding parental access to school records.
2. Demand Accountability; If a school denies access, request a written explanation and escalate the issue to the district or state education authorities.
police report below
3. Expose Wrongdoing; Share your experiences publicly. Schools and law enforcement should not be able to operate in the dark.
Here is the audio for my recent conversation with the principal at Stillwater Junior High School.
4. Consider Legal Action; If your rights are being violated, consult an attorney and explore filing a formal complaint or lawsuit.
This fight is far from over. Our children deserve better, and so do we.
Have you faced issues accessing your child’s school records in Oklahoma? Share your story in the comments or reach out to The Oklahoma Post.
Legal Complaints Below
civil rights complaint below
State Department of Education complaint below
(Writing by Rachel Meister; Editing by Robbie Robertson)
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