Columbus City Schools have started using the names listed on students' birth certificates rather than the ones they prefer.
According to a WCMH-TV report, school district officials said the change is meant to ensure the district complies with the provisions of Senate Bill 104, the Protect All Students Act, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law last week.
The measure, which took effect on Feb. 24, stipulates that Ohio’s primary and secondary schools and higher education institutions must designate restrooms for biological males’ or females’ use. The law made Ohio the 14th state nationwide to pass student bathroom privacy protections.
“To ensure legal compliance regarding official student records, Student Information System records had to be updated to match the information on student birth certificates or court orders,” WCMH-TV quoted Columbus City Schools spokesperson Tyler Carter as saying.
Critics say the move came with no notice and argued that it could hurt transgender and “gender variant” students, WCMH-TV reported. They also point out that SB 104 does not specifically require school districts to use the names on students’ birth certificates.
“The schools have smart boards, and there were students that were outed during attendance to their classes and their teachers, none of whom knew that they were trans,” Dara Adkinson, executive director of TransOhio, told WCMH-TV.
“You don’t have to stay with a bad decision just because you made one,” Adkinson added, according to the news station. “I hope that they roll it back, but I don’t know that there’s any way they can truly make it up to those students.”
Last month, the Columbus City Schools Board of Education voted to rescind its policy to allow students to use whatever bathroom aligns with their gender identity.
“The Columbus City Schools Board of Education respects and values each of our students and staff members,” Board President Michael Cole said in a previous statement. “The district remains committed to ensuring each student is empowered for success as a citizen in a global community, while also following the law.”
Columbus City Schools isn’t the only district to rethink its approach. Bexley and Upper Arlington schools have also adjusted their policies after SB 104, the station reported.
Lawmakers pulled language from previously introduced legislation, House Bill 183, for Senate Bill 104. The measure’s new prohibition applies to locations where school-sponsored activities occur, including school facilities.
Under the measure, higher education institutions, including community colleges, state universities, technical colleges, and private nonprofit and for-profit career colleges, are required to use clear signage for these designations to ensure the clarity of students and staff members.
Proponents said they introduced the legislation amid concerns Ohioans expressed about opposite-sex access to locker rooms, restrooms, and shared overnight accommodations.
Unsurprisingly, the ACLU of Ohio and other groups opposed the measure as lawmakers debated it. The groups unsuccessfully called on the governor to veto the legislation.
SB 104 started as a bill to amend Ohio’s College Credit Plus Program. Lawmakers subsequently amended the bill to add the Protect All Students Act.
“This legislation has always been about protecting students, and I think that’s something we should all be able to agree on,” state Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, said in a statement after the bill’s passage. “Many Ohioans don’t want their local schools to allow opposite-sex access to restrooms or locker rooms. The Protect All Students Act will provide clarity and a unified approach for school leaders statewide.”
In 2023, DeWine vetoed a separate bill to ban “gender-affirming care” for minors. It also barred males from competing in women’s sports.
Despite the governor’s action, Ohio lawmakers overrode DeWine’s veto. The “gender-affirming care” ban for minors took effect earlier this year.
