Oklahoma's top education official called teacher unions "terrorist organizations," prompting groans from Democratic lawmakers during a congressional hearing where he answered questions for over two hours at the state Capitol Monday. 

"I don’t negotiate with folks who would sabotage our kids," Ryan Walters, the state schools superintendent, who has been a frequent critic of teachers unions told the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, the Oklahoman reported. "That’s a terrorist organization in my book."

Walters blamed his predecessor Joy Hofmeister for abandoning the agency in a "dumpster fire" state when she left office and accused teacher unions of demanding more government funding in order to cooperate with efforts to reopen schools amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

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The state's largest teacher union, the Oklahoma Education Association (OEA), which is an affiliate of the National Education Association, called out Walters for his "inflammatory and demonizing rhetoric" that they said "endanger[s] our educators and undermine[s] public education."

"Public school educators are not getting rich off of this job," the statement said. "They keep their hearts and classrooms open to every single child across Oklahoma because they love their students."

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"Comparing them to people who blow up buildings is disgusting, especially when every educator puts their life on the line to protect students as school shootings continue to rise," OEA added. 

Walters told Fox News Digital that he stands by his comments and doubled down on his view that the strategy of teachers unions "was not to improve the lives of our children, but to protect their own self interests."

"The teachers’ union has yet to acknowledge holding our children hostage for nearly two years, based on now disproven science, that stunted academic growth for millions of our children," he said. "They owe all parents and kids an apology for actively hijacking and destroying a generations’ future."

The committee's vice chairperson, Rep. Ryan Martinez, called for adjournment as Democrats voiced objections to Walters' statements, but he remained resolved.

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The meeting ended after intense questioning from Democrats who objected to many of his claims. 

Democratic Rep. Regina Goodwin, for instance, called Walter's comments "flame throwing" and "racist-tinged." 

"I just shared with him that I am a Democrat and a Christian, that his prayers don't reach God's ears faster than mine," Goodwin said. "There's no way we're going to advance any cause if he's going to continue to diminish and attack in a way that is despicable."