FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 19, 2024
Contact: Neil Bhaerman, nbhaerman@oft-aft.org
Ohio Federation of Teachers Calls on Governor DeWine to Veto HB 8
COLUMBUS — In response to the state legislature’s passage of HB 8 – which contains a vague and draconian content ban, the requirement that teachers must out students to their parents and a requirement that every school district must allow religious release time during the school day – Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper released the following statement and called on Governor DeWine to veto the bill:
“HB 8 is a mess of a bill that will jeopardize student health and safety, lower the quality of the education that Ohio students receive, and dissuade people and businesses from moving to – or remaining in – Ohio.
This legislature seems to think that it's their job to micromanage what books are in a classroom, force teachers to put students in danger by outing them, and require schools to allow students to leave during the schoolday for religious instruction. Ohio parents and communities want to, and are capable of, continuing to make these decisions locally for their individual school districts. We hope that Governor DeWine will veto this bill and push back against the one-size-fits-all unfunded mandates from the statehouse.”
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