1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

I urge you to vote NO on HB 8 and allow families and school districts to decide what is best for their communities. HB 8 puts the privacy and safety of Ohio students at risk. It is imperative that trust between young people and a teacher or other school staff member remains intact. For students who do not feel safe at home, sometimes they have nowhere else to turn but to a teacher or guidance counselor. Additionally, HB 8’s provisions about “sexuality content” will create a culture of censorship in our schools. Current law already allows for parental notice, review, and opting out of instruction. Amending SB 293 into the bill creates even more problems. There are serious logistical and safety concerns with organizations sponsoring released time programs transporting students off school grounds. These programs disrupt the school day for students who do not attend and their teachers. On top of that, these students may be bullied by their peers for staying behind. These problems already exist, when released time programs are optional for school districts. Enacting this statewide mandate will subject all districts to these problems, whether they like it or not. Allow local school districts to decide what is best for their communities. Vote NO on HB 8.