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Protect Honesty in Education
at the Ohio Statehouse

Pending bills at the Ohio Statehouse to "prohibit divisive concepts" in education

House Bill 322

would prohibit the teaching, instructing, promoting, and advocating of "Prohibited Concepts" that center on race and sex, in Pre K-12 schools. (Learn more...)

SUB House Bill 327

would prohibit the teaching, instructing, promoting, and advocating of ​"Divisive Concepts" in Pre K-12, higher education, and political subdivisions; includes severe penalties for violations. (Learn more...)

The League of Women Voters of Ohio strongly opposes both these bills because they are an attack on honesty in the classroom.

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TAKE ACTION NOW

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  1.  Review both bills and learn how they promote dishonesty (see below).

  2. Submit a Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed expressing why you oppose the bills

  3. Submit testimony to the Statehouse opposing the bills: testify in-person or in-writing

  4. Write a message to your legislator using our letter writing tool NOW

  5.  Invite a student or a friend to do the same

Ohio House Bill 322

​

Ohio House Bill 322 (HB 322) is pending legislation that prohibits the teaching, instructing, promoting, and advocating of "Prohibited Concepts" that center on race and sex, in Pre K-12 schools.


Bill Specifically Targets: 

  • School Districts

  • STEM Schools

  • Community Schools

  • School Buildings Operated by a School District

 

Sponsors

Primary Sponsor: Ohio State Rep. Don Jones (R-Freeport), District 95
​Introduced: May 25, 2021  

HB 322 Prohibits

  • State Board of Education from adopting any model curriculum regarding Prohibited Concepts

  • Approving the use of, or carrying out, standards of curricula, lesson plans, textbooks, or instructional material that inculcates "Prohibited Concepts"

  • Teaching, instructing, or training any administrator, teacher, staff, employee any of the Prohibited Concepts

  • Accepting private funding to develop curriculum, purchase course materials, or provide training, or CEU for courses on history, civics, US government, politics, social studies, etc.

  • Forcing a teacher to affirm belief in systemic racism, multiplicity or fluidity of gender identities, or like ideas, against the teacher’s religious or philosophical beliefs

  • Requiring the discussion of current events, widely debated, and current controversial issue of public policy or social affairs

  • Requiring or awarding course credit or grades for any “action civics” connected to service learning, lobbying, or other work surrounding social or public policy advocacy

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"PROHIBTED CONCEPTS" defined as:

  • One race or sex is inherently superior to another.

  • An individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive (consciously or unconsciously) by virtue of their race or sex.

  • An individual should be discriminated against solely based on race.

  • Members of one race cannot or should not attempt to treat others without respect to race.

  • An individual’s moral standing or worth is determined by their race or sex.

  • An individual bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of their sex or race, by virtue of being the same race or sex​​.

  • An individual should feel guilt, anguish, or psychological distress based on their race or sex.

  • Meritocracy or hard work ethic are racist or sexist, or created by members of a particular race or sex to oppress members of another race or sex.

  • Fault, blame, or bias should be assigned to a race or sex (or members of that race or sex) because of their race or sex.

  • The advent of slavery in the US constituted the true founding of the US

  • Slavery and racism are anything other than deviations, betrayals, or failures to live up to the authentic founding principles of the US, including liberty and equality​.

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hb322

House Bill 327

Ohio Sub House Bill 327 (Sub HB 327) is pending legislation that prohibits the teaching, instructing, promoting, and advocating of ​"Divisive Concepts" in Pre K-12, higher education, and political subdivisions. Violations incur severe penalties, including: suspension and revocation of licensure, denial of tenure and employment , and withholding up to 100% of state funding.
 

Bill Specifically Targets: 

  • School Districts

  • STEM Schools

  • Community Schools

  • School Buildings Operated by a School District

  • Nonpublic School Enrolling Students Using a State Scholarship Program

  • Higher Education Institutions​

  • Political Subdivisions

​

Sponsors

Primary Sponsors: 
Ohio State Rep. Diane Grendell (R-Chesterland), District 76
Ohio State Rep. Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula), District 99
 

​Sub HB 327 Prohibits

​​

  • Teaching, instructing, training, advocating or promoting "Divisive Concepts"

  • Awarding credit towards high school graduation for subject matter or courses that promote "Divisive Concepts"

  • Requiring a student to advocate for or against a specific topic or point of view to receive credit for coursework or graduation credit

  • State Board of Education from adopting any model curriculum, standard, professional development resources, etc, that promotes "Divisive Concepts"

  • School District Boards of Education from selecting any textbook, instructional material or academic curriculum that promotes "Divisive Concepts"

  • Applying for any federal grants to develop or select a curriculum, purchasing course materials, or provide teacher training for a course about "Divisive Concepts"

  • Acceptance of private funding for the purpose of developing curriculum, purchasing or selecting course material, or providing teacher training or professional development for a course promoting "Divisive Concepts".

  • Expending any monies in support of teaching "Divisive Concepts"

  • Promotion of professional development that promotes "Divisive Concepts"

  • School or higher education institution from penalizing or discriminating against a teacher, administrator, or employee for their refusal to support, believe, or assent to "Divisive Concepts"

  • School or higher education institution from requiring a teacher, administrator, or employee to complete a curriculum including "Divisive Concepts" as a condition or prerequisite for employment

  • Higher education institutions from including "Divisive Concepts" in new student or freshman orientation teaching, instruction, or training​​

​

Punishment for Violations

​

School District & Schools

  • Superintendent of Public Instruction & Dept of Education will withhold 25%, 50%, 100% of state funding for 1st, 2nd, 3rd offense, respectively, for reckless or knowing violations

Superintendents, Principals, Teachers

  • State Board of Education (BOE) will issue admonishment of license, suspend license, revoke license for 1st, 2nd, 3rd offense, respectively, for reckless or knowing violations

Higher Education Institutions, Professors, and Faculty​

  • Chancellor & Dept of Higher Education must withhold 25%, 50%, 100% of state funding for 1st, 2nd, 3rd offense, respectively

  • Board of Trustees of each State Institution of Higher Education may deny tenure and employment, and debar contractors​

​

"DIVISIVE CONCEPTS" defined as:

​

  • One nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion is inherently superior to another.

  • The United States is fundamentally racist or sexist.

  • An individual is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive (consciously or unconsciously) by virtue of their nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion.

  • An individual should be discriminated against or receive adverse treatment solely based on their nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion.

  • Members of one nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion cannot or should not attempt to treat others disrespectfully based on nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion.

  • An individual’s moral character is determined by their nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion.

  • An individual bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by other members of the same nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion.

  • Meritocracy or hard work ethic are racist or sexist, and created by members of a particular nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion to oppress other members of a nationality, color, ethnicity, race, sex, or religion.

  • Any other form of race or stereotyping, or race or sex scapegoating.

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The League of Women Voters of Ohio strongly opposes both these bills because they are an attack on honesty in the classroom.

​

hb327

HB 322 vs SUB HB 327

House Bill 322

​TARGETS
Pre K-12 

PROHIBITS
Inculcation of Controversial Content
Related to Race, Sex, Current Events

​INCLUDES​
Model Curriculum & Curricula Standards
Teaching, Instruction, Discussion
Course Credit, Action Civics, Service Learning
Training, Professional Development, CEU
Funding & Purchases

​

SUB House Bill 327

​TARGETS
Pre K-12
Higher Ed
Political Subdivisions

PROHIBITS 
Promotion of "Divisive Concepts" in Education

INCLUDES
Model Curriculum & Curricula Standards
Teaching, Instruction, Discussion
Course Credit, Action Civics, Service Learning 
Training, Professional Development, CEU
Funding & Purchases

PENALTIES FOR VIOLATIONS
25, 50, 100% of State Funding
Suspension & Revocation of Licensure

​

Comparison
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TAKE ACTION NOW

​​

  1.  Review both bills and learn how they promote dishonesty (see below).

  2. Submit a Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed expressing why you oppose the bills

  3. Submit testimony to the Statehouse opposing the bills: testify in-person or in-writing

  4. Write a message to your legislator using our letter writing tool NOW

  5.  Invite a student or a friend to do the same

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