Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signs parental rights bill into law
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a parental rights bill into law that, among other things, allows students to be taken off campus for religious instruction and prohibits schools from not informing parents if their child seeks to identify as the opposite sex.
DeWine signed House Bill 8, which is also known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” on Wednesday, along with other various legislative proposals.
Aaron Baer, president of the Columbus-based Center for Christian Virtue, released a statement celebrating the signing of HB 8, saying that DeWine “has done an incredible service for Ohio families.”
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“Parents, not government bureaucrats, should be making healthcare and education decisions for their kids,” stated Baer. “HB8 protects children by safeguarding parents' rights to make important decisions for their children.”
“Whether it’s a decision about healthcare, a decision about when a child has a discussion about sexuality, or a decision over whether a child can access a religious released time program like LifeWise Academy, HB8 puts parents back in control.”
Progressive groups, among them the Ohio chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, denounced the legislation, labeling it the “Forced Outing Bill” and the “Unsafe Students Act.”
“House Bill 8 would restrict how so-called ‘sexuality content’ can be taught in schools and would potentially put students’ safety at serious risk, particularly LGBTQ+ students, and eviscerate the trusted relationships between students and their teachers,” stated the ACLU of Ohio.
The ACLU also opposed HB 8’s requirement for school districts to have a released time for religious instruction program, noting that earlier state law simply permitted such programs.
“Some districts have chosen not to for various reasons—safety and liability concerns, the blurring of lines between church and state, disruption to the school day, and the bullying some students endure for not attending an RTRI program,” stated the group. “This new version of HB 8 would subject every school district to these problems, whether they like it or not.”
Primarily sponsored by Ohio Reps. D.J. Swearingen and Sara Carruthers, HB 8 declares that “a parent has a fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of the parent's child.”
“A school district board of education shall collaborate with a sponsoring entity of a released time course in religious instruction to identify a time to offer the course during the school day,” stated the bill.
“While in attendance in a released time course in religious instruction, a student shall not be considered absent from school. No student may be released from a core curriculum subject course to attend a religious instruction course.”
HB 8 also mandates that school districts ensure that “any sexuality content is age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate for the age of the student receiving the instruction” and prohibits schools from “directly or indirectly encouraging a student to withhold from a parent information concerning the student's mental, emotional or physical health or well-being, or a change in related services or monitoring.”
The bill passed the Ohio Senate in a vote of 24-7 last month, with the Ohio House voting 57-31 to concur with any changes made to the legislation.
