Ohio lawmakers passed the Parents’ Bill of Rights, sending it to Republican Governor Mike DeWine’s desk.
House Bill 8 requires “public schools to adopt a policy on parental notification on student health and well-being and instructional materials with sexuality content and regarding school district policies for released time courses in religious instruction.”
The bill allows parents to review class material that includes sexual content and decide if their child should be excused from instruction. The bill further states that there will be no instruction involving sexuality to students “in grades kindergarten through three.”
State Representative Sara Carruthers (R) told Local 12 that the bill “is not about sexuality. It’s about keeping parents informed. Keeping parents informed about their mental status. Some kids have, they have learning problems. They have some mental issues.”
Democrat State Senator Bill DeMora said the measure would destroy teachers’ careers.
“They could lose their license. They could be fired. They could be sued. This bill is horrible. I mean, it’s basically making a teacher or counselor play a law enforcement officer,” he told the outlet. Regarding the bill’s allowance for religious instruction, he said, “Let them go to religious school or have it done after school, but to have kids leave in the middle of the day, in the middle of classes, to go take religious teachings, I think it’s absolutely ridiculous.”
One of the bill’s lead sponsors, State Rep. DJ Swearingen (R), said last year that the bill “acknowledges the fundamental role that parents play in the lives of their children.” He noted, “We have a responsibility to support and protect the irreplaceable position that only parents can have in their kids’ lives.”
