The bill bans teaching gender ideology for third grade and younger.
Lawmakers in Ohio spent the last hours of the lame duck session passing legislation that gives parents more oversight and latitude over their children’s public education. The bill, dubbed the “Parents’ Bill of Rights”, bans “sexuality content” for kindergarten through third grade while requiring parental notification for the same content for older students. It also requires “alternative instructions” be available at parents’ request. The definition of “sexuality content” is “oral or written instruction, presentation, image, or description of sexual concepts or gender ideology.”
Also added to the bill was a requirement for school districts to allow students time off-campus during the school day for religious instruction. GOP State Sen. Andrew Brenner argued schools should not have the ability or right to “keep secret information about someone’s child” from parents.
Critics of the bill said it “mixes public education and religion” and also could be a danger to LGBT students who may be “outed” by school personnel. Democratic state Sen. Kent Smith called the bill “a culture war attack on marginalized Ohioans.”
The provision on off-campus religious instruction was favored by LifeWise Academy, a program for Christian students headquartered in Ohio. LifeWise has grown rapidly in Ohio and is expanding across the country.
Were the bill to become law, schools would be mandated to “notify parents if their child requests counseling or asks to be called by a different name or pronoun.” The bill passed the Republican Senate overwhelmingly 24-7 while the lower chamber passed the bill at a narrower 57-31 margin.
The bill now goes to the desk of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, where he is expected to sign the bill into law.
