Two Ohio state representatives introduced legislation that mirrors Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill and also prohibits Critical Race Theory-inspired instruction.
State GOP Reps. Mike Loychik and Jean Schmidt on Monday introduced House Bill 616, which would ban public educators teaching grades kindergarten through third grade from teaching, using or providing any instruction or material on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Educators for fourth through twelfth grades will not be allowed to teach age-inappropriate content in accordance with Ohio's "state standards."
This comes after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a bill into law last week that bans instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in grades kindergarten through third grade and would limit age-inappropriate discussions of sexuality in other grades.
Dubbed by critics as the "Don't say gay" bill despite there being no mention of a ban on the word, Florida's legislation also allows parents to access their children's education and health records and requires schools to inform parents of changes to their child's mental, physical or emotional well-being. The bill exempts schools from disclosing information to their parents if a "reasonably prudent person" would be concerned that doing so could result in abuse, abandonment or neglect.
Ohio's bill would also ban instruction on "divisive concepts," including Critical Race Theory, intersectional theory, The 1619 Project, and "inherited racial guilt."
"Any other concept that the state board of education defines as divisive or inherently racist" would also be prohibited under the legislation.
The bill adopts language used in a piece of legislation recently signed into law in South Dakota.
The South Dakota law, which was signed by Republican Gov. Kristi Noem last month, bans public colleges and universities in the state from using "divisive" Critical Race Theory-inspired trainings or orientations like teaching students that an individual is inherently superior or inferior, or should be discriminated against, based on their race, color, religion, sex, ethnicity or national origin.
"No student or teacher should have to endorse Critical Race Theory in order to attend, graduate from, or teach at our public universities," Noem said in a statement after she signed the bill. "College should remain a place where freedom of thought and expression are encouraged, not stifled by political agendas."
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