COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – An Ohio law known as Parents’ Bill of Rightsis likely to advance in the Ohio Senate next week, but may also include several other policies.
What is the Parents’ Bill of Rights?
The Parents’ Bill of Rights, or House Bill 8, is sponsored by Reps. DJ Swearingen (R-Huron) and Sara Carruthers (R-Hamilton).
Swearingen said they introduced the bill with one main goal in mind.
“I see the bill as a way for parents to raise their children and be involved in their children’s lives,” he said.
The bill would allow parents to opt their students out of “sexual content,” would require parents to be informed of changes in their child’s mental, emotional or physical health, and prohibits school staff from encouraging a student to withhold information from a parent , unless it would result in abuse, abandonment or neglect.
“It’s going to put educators in a really difficult position and I think it’s also going to create potential danger for students,” said Scott DiMauro, president of the Ohio Education Association.
DiMauro said he fears House Bill 8 could lead to a “forced exit” for students who are part of the LGBTQ+ community. He said he was not convinced the parameters in the bill provided enough protections.
“I think the question is, ‘Who decides?’ There will definitely be a judgment in determining whether or not a student is actually at risk of potential harm,” he said.
“Specifically, the bill states that teachers are still required to report under current abuse law and that they must report if it becomes apparent at home that they are being abused,” Swearingen said.
Swearingen described the disagreements between himself and the bill’s opponents as “philosophical differences.” He said research suggests parental involvement in a child’s upbringing is significant.
“We have struck a really good balance between empowering parents to raise their children and engaging in their children’s lives at school, and require schools to provide parents with information that is critical to their children’s education meaning,” he said.
“We strongly believe it is important for parents and educators to work in partnership to ensure every student has what they need to be successful in our schools,” DiMauro said. “I believe House Bill 8 serves to fuel distrust between families and our schools.”
Ohio Senate Education Committee Chairman Sen. Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware) said they worked behind the scenes with Gov. Mike DeWine’s office and sponsors on the bill to make sure it was sound.
“And that it not only complies with state law and federal law, but also ensures that student privacy is protected as well,” Brenner said.
How might the bill change by the end of the year?
Brenner said his committee would likely vote on it as early as next week and possibly the Senate the same week. But there will likely be some changes before then, he said, with some technical changes and some to keep students unthreatening.
“Parents should be informed. These children are there because of state law and the Constitution, and parents have the right to know what is going on with their children in the classrooms,” Brenner said. “We just want to make sure that students are actually protected if abuse or other events occur in their own home.”
But now there are plans to make further changes to include several other policies in the bill. It may now include a requirement that public schools have one Religious release time policy and a Bill adding age verification requirements for watching porn in Ohio.
“It should be interesting. Not entirely unexpected,” said Ohio House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington). “My members have a lot of concerns about all of these bills, so I suspect we’ll still say ‘no’.”
On Tuesday, Ohio House Speaker Jason Stephens (R-Kitts Hill) said he wants a immaculate parental rights charter.
“I would like to see a bill that — that is, that’s the theme of the bill, and it’s not cluttered up with a lot of other bills that might be floating around,” Stephens said.
Stephens did not say whether he would still support an amended version.
Swearingen said he is motivated to get this bill passed by the end of the year and is therefore open to some changes if things stay on track.
“I want to stay as close as possible to the original intent of the bill, which is to support parents and the education of their children in schools,” he said. “So as long as we stick to that mission, that’s my biggest priority.”
If House Bill 8 passes the Senate next week as expected, the Ohio House of Representatives will have to approve the Senate changes before it can reach DeWine’s desk. It previously passed in the Ohio House of Representatives, with only one Republican joining all Democrats in voting against it.
