In doing so, these politicians and proposed legislation such as House Bill 556 are driving excellent educators out of the profession and hurting Ohio’s kids.
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Let’s be clear: Every day, Ohio’s dedicated public school teachers, librarians, and higher ed faculty members provide their students with age-appropriate, inclusive lessons that prepare them for their futures.
House Bill 556 attempts to silence or punish these educators for doing their jobs.
The intentionally vague language of this law – which flies in the face of the First Amendment – would leave trained, experienced educators unsure whether the necessary, legitimate education materials they have been using with their students and in the classroom would be safe under this dangerous law.
Ohio already has obscenity laws on the books. These laws already prohibit educators – and everyone else – from presenting obscene materials. These current laws also make it clear that there can be legitimate educational, scientific, medical, religious, or governmental purposes for using certain materials. These are known as affirmative defenses.
But, in this latest attack on public education and public school educators by those seeking to sow division and distrust so they can hold onto their power, House Bill 556 would remove that affirmative defense for most educators and open the door to immense subjectivity in enforcement.
What may be acceptable to one person may cross the line for another – look no further than the growing list of challenged and banned books that simply contain LGBTQ+ characters to see that difference in opinion at play. By preventing educators from being able to show why a particular material used in their curriculum is justified as a legitimate educational tool, HB 556 creates an enormous gray area open to an individual’s interpretation, with hardworking, professional educators facing potential prison time if they guess wrong as to how any one individual may see what they teach.
The chilling effect on our classrooms would be unacceptable, and it would make it that much harder for educators to continue delivering the excellent education every student deserves.
And, at a time when Ohio is already facing a growing school staffing crisis, HB 556 would have a tremendous chilling effect on the education profession.
Even more great educators will likely choose to leave their careers in the classroom rather than face the potential of criminal prosecution under a law with a fuzzy definition of what would constitute a crime in the first place. Even fewer potentially great educators will consider a career in our schools because of the nearly impossible circumstances they would need to navigate.
Our students – in our classrooms today and in the generations to come – will suffer.
Educators, parents, and community members must stand up against this attack on our public schools and on public school educators. We will come together and use our united voice to ensure our students can have the full, honest education they need to thrive.
Scott DiMauro is the Ohio Education Association president.
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