Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a series of bills this week, including a measure to enact the Parents’ Bill of Rights.
Sponsored by state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron, and former state Rep. Sara Carruthers, R-Hamilton, House Bill 8 bars schools or any third parties operating on behalf of a school or district from instructing“sexuality content” to students in kindergarten through third grades. It requires schools to implement parental notification and review policies for “sexuality-related content” and student health care, such as counseling services.
“They’re the first teachers, they’re the best teachers, and that’s very, very important,” the Associated Press quoted DeWine, a Republican, as telling reporters, adding that he doesn’t think it will harm LGBTQ+ students.
“First of all, we love these students as we love anybody else and they’re not only welcome in Ohio, they’re welcome in our schools and we want to protect them as we protect every other student,” DeWine added, according to the news wire. “But I do believe that parents, again, having information, they’re the most likely people to help that child.”
It also bars school officials from encouraging students to keep health or well-being details from their parents. Under the measure, schools and districts must publicly disclose the policies, including posting them on their websites if they have one.
“It is critical that parents have a seat at the table when it comes to their children, and this legislation encourages parents and schools to partner together for the wellbeing of our children,” Swearingen said in a statement at the end of December.
The measure also requires school districts to let students be excused to attend a released time religious instruction course conducted by an off-site private entity. It also establishes a process for resolving parents’ concerns about topics addressed in the bill.
Under current law, schools are permitted to allow students such an excuse.
Opponents have criticized the measure, saying it resembles Florida’s misnamed “Don’t Say Gay” law, which lawmakers passed in 2022. It ignited a legal challenge and garnered often-erroneous headlines about the nature of the legislation. But as part of a settlement, students and teachers can discuss gender orientation and sexual identity as long as it isn’t part of a formal course.
The parental Bill of Rights follows another high-profile bill DeWine recently signed: Senate Bill 104, the Protect All Students Act. It stipulates that Ohio’s primary and secondary schools and higher education institutions must designate restrooms for use only by biological males or females.
Additionally, this week, the Republican governor signed House Bill 322, which creates a new grooming offense.
It allows prosecutors to seek criminal charges against anyone who demonstrates a pattern of inappropriate behavior toward minors. The measure, sponsored by state Reps. Cindy Abrams, R-Harrison, and Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, takes effect 90 days after DeWine’s signature.
“We have a collective responsibility to protect Ohio children, and House Bill 322 will allow us to do so,” Abrams said in a statement. “We know when something is wrong, and we must speak up for the sake of our children and the safety [of] our communities. I’m grateful for all the constituents who helped move this important legislation forward.”
A third measure, House Bill 206, requires students who are expelled for “imminent and severe endangerment” to undergo a mental health assessment before possible reinstatement. The legislation, sponsored by state Reps. Gary Click, R-Vickery, and Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, could result in “permissive costs for districts and schools to develop and carry out a plan for the continued education of a student expelled under the bill during the expulsion period,” an Ohio Legislative Service Commission fiscal note found.
It also increases the fiscal 2025 earmark for the Department of Education and Workforce to administer the state’s scholarship programs from $4 million to $8.1 million.
