Presented on Monday, Ohio’s HB 616 would forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, just like the Florida law condemned by LGBTQ advocates.
State Rep. Mike Loychik, a Bazetta Republican and one of the bill’s two sponsors, wrote in a tweet: “Curriculum about gender identity and sexuality has no place in K-3 classrooms, period.”
The bill’s other sponsor, GOP Rep. Jean Schmidt of Loveland, said in a statement: “The classroom is a place that seeks answers for our children without political activism.”
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“Parents deserve and should be provided a say in what is taught to their children in schools. The intent of this bill is to provide them with the tools to be able to see what their child is being taught,” added Schmidt.
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After Florida’s new law brought activist fury and lawsuits, the Ohio bill will certainly cause controversy -- and the proposal in the Buckeye State goes even further.
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The Ohio bill would also demand that any curriculum or instructional materials on sexual orientation or gender identity in grades four through 12 must be “age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards.”
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It also addresses a separate hot-button issue by prohibiting the teaching of “Critical Race Theory," “intersectional theory,” and “the 1619 Project.”
The bans would refer to all public schools, as well as private schools that accept taxpayer-funded vouchers.
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The bill would allow members of the public to file complaints against school employees in violation of the bans.
Accused educators would be entitled to a hearing on the allegations, but would face discipline if they are found in violation, in addition to the school district facing a loss of state funding.
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“Children deserve a quality education that is fair, unbiased and age appropriate,” Loychik said in a statement. “This legislation promotes free and fair discussion.”
However, Democrats and LGBTQ advocates have already expressed their frustration, saying that the proposal would gag teachers from discussing important issues.
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“There is far too much ambiguity in the bills,” Ohio State Board of Education Member Christina Collins told the Columbus Dispatch.
“My interpretation is there can be no books of any kind that deal with any LGBTQ+ issues,” Collins said.
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“Ohio’s Don’t Say Gay bill is yet another insidious attempt to chill and censor free speech in the classroom. Lawmakers are effectively trying to erase LGBTQ+ people and skew history in their favor,” Equality Ohio's Executive Director Alana Jochum told CNN.
