Ohio Governor Mike DeWine (R) signed the "Parents' Bill of Rights" (H.B. 8) into law rather than face another veto override from his conservative Republican state legislature over protecting children from the influence of radical gender ideology. The State House of Representatives passed the bill 57-31—introduced by Rep. D. J. Swearingen (R-89) and former State Rep. Sara P. Carruthers (R-47)— and the state Senate backed the legislation by a 24-7 vote in late December.

A child's parents are their "first teachers. They're the best teachers— and that's very, very important," said DeWine. Parents who have information about their children's struggles to embrace their God-given gender identity are also "the most likely people to help that child."

Pro-family leaders praised the legislation, which aims to empower parents to continue to exercise their prerogatives—and stop "progressive" educators from encroaching on their values. "This critical legislation safeguards children from secret social transition by ensuring school officials do not hide crucial information from parents about their child's mental health and well-being," said Matt Sharp, director of the Alliance Defending Freedom's Center for Public Policy, in a statement emailed to The Washington Stand. "It increases parental involvement in their child's education by letting parents opt their child out of objectionable sexual content. And it empowers parents to give their children permission to attend religious instruction during the school day through released-time programs."

"Parents know and love their children best, which is why they are best suited to make decisions about their children's upbringing, education, and care. Thankfully, HB 8 rightfully recognizes this truth as a fundamental right," Sharp told TWS. "Now and always, it's parents who ought to be in the driver's seat of directing the upbringing, education, and care of their kids."

"Thank you, Governor, for protecting parental rights!" said Aaron Baer, president of the Ohio-based Center for Christian Virtue, in an email sent to The Washington Stand. "Parents, not government bureaucrats, should be making health care and education decisions for their kids. Governor DeWine has done an incredible service for Ohio families by signing House Bill 8."

The soon-to-be-enacted statute "protects children by safeguarding parents' rights to make important decisions for their children. Whether it's a decision about health care, 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."

The Parents' Bill of Rights requires all of the state's public school districts to adopt three specific policies by this July, in time for the next school year.

The law, H.B. 8, prevents schools from withholding information about their children's decision to identify as a member of the opposite sex. The text of the bill specifies "the school district shall not inhibit parental access to the student's education and health records maintained by the school" and that no one who works for a school district may "directly or indirectly encourag[e] a student to withhold from a parent information concerning the student's mental, emotional, or physical health or well-being." That includes "[a]ny request by a student to identify as a gender that does not align with the student's biological sex."

Schools should not "keep secret information about someone else's child. Children are not a ward of the state or a school district and are to be raised and guided by their parents," said state Senator Andrew Brenner (R-19).

Second, the bill prevents the school from preventing any sexuality content from kindergarten through third grade, including "any oral or written instruction, presentation, image, or description of sexual concepts or gender ideology provided in a classroom setting." Any sex education information from fourth grade forward must be "age-appropriate," a provision to the text of the "Parental Rights in Education" Act signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R).

Finally, schools must respect students' right to release time for religious instruction, such as the popular LifeWise Academy instruction course. The issue came to the fore this fall and winter, when two suburban Columbus school districts denied that right. The Westerville City School District opted, in a near-unanimous vote, to rescind its release time policy. Both policies stand in seeming defiance of the 1952 Supreme Court ruling, Zorach v. Clauson, which affirmed the right of "public school children to leave campus during school hours to attend religious instruction and services." Worthington City Schools board members erased its release time for religious instruction policy in December. 

The Ohio-based Mission America called the bill's passage "great news ... And even better news is that it was amended to require schools to have a policy allowing religious instruction release time, like the very popular LifeWise program."

"The Parents' Bill of Rights will help protect the primary role of parents in the education & nurture of their children," said Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R), who spoke about the moral foundation of law at the 2024 Pray Vote Stand Summit, in a social media post.

But the bill's foes branded it "dangerous." Dwayen Steward, executive director of the LGBTQ pressure group Equality Ohio, claimed the bill "punishes teachers and staff for supporting LGBTQ+ students who are already targets of bullying and harassment."

DeWine, a former lieutenant governor and US senator, has had a challenged relationship with the pro-family movement. He signed a heartbeat bill in 2022 before winning reelection handily. The following December, he vetoed a wildly popular child and women's privacy protection bill, H.B. 68, which combined the Saving Adolescents From Experimentation (SAFE) Act and the Save Women's Sports Act. The Ohio state legislature overrode his veto last January, making Ohio the 23rd state to enact protections for gender-confused children. DeWine briefly introduced executive actions and regulations to enhance the safety of adults who identify as transgender, only to roll them back last February. "We said from the get-go these EO's were hollow & now there's no doubt," said Baer.

The law goes into effect 90 days after its January 8, 2025, signing date. Subscribe for free to Breaking Christian News here

Ben Johnson is senior reporter and editor at The Washington Stand.

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