The Republican-dominated Ohio state Senate passed House Bill 8 on Thursday, which includes a provision that mandates public schools to allow students to leave school property to attend religious instruction offsite.
According to the bill’s text, the provision calls for schools to provide “released time,” which is defined as “a period of time during which a student is excused from school to attend a course in religion instruction conducted by a private entity off school property.” The final bill included language requiring schools to provide released time, opposed to a previous version of the bill that made it optional.
A later stipulation states that transportation of the student is incumbent on the “sponsoring entity, parent, guardian, or student” and that the school district is not liable in damages if the child is harmed during transportation.
The released time provision was met with opposition from Ohio Democrats, including Rep. Joe Miller (D-Amherst), who is a former teacher. On the Ohio House floor, Miller implied that the provision was unconstitutional.
“You’re mixing religion and education in public schools,” Miller said. “I mean, I’ve seen unconstitutional stuff come our way. It just continues.”
Here’s Miller’s speech, in part, against mandated released time for religious instruction in public schools. https://t.co/XmU23VxdbZ pic.twitter.com/Dy6RYCbdfJ
— The Rooster (@rooster_ohio) December 19, 2024
He then pitched the scenario of a school superintendent extending the school day by an hour, with students not taking religious instruction being able to leave.
Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) also opposed the bill’s provision to require schools to report a student’s request to identify as a gender not assigned to them at birth.
“It’s certainly not what the children and the teachers and the parents of Ohio need,” Antonio reportedly said. “I think we need to maintain the ability of children to be able to talk to teachers, social workers, counselors, with some confidentiality, and parents need to be able to be involved with their children, but also know that sometimes children need somebody to talk to.”
Antonio also disagreed with the released time aspect of the legislation.
“It disrupts the flow of (students) dealing with their studies,” Antonio continued. “I think it needs to be on an individual school district basis to make those kinds of decisions.”
Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.) responded to Democratic pushback and school districts potentially working around the released time provision by telling his colleagues “FAFO.” This acronym stands for “f— around and find out.”
Rep. Josh Williams captured the arrogance of the Ohio Legislature when it comes to pushing religion by any means possible into public education.
Also probably became the first state legislator in the country to use the phrase “FAFO” on a legislative floor. pic.twitter.com/wHkX1MLw2c
— The Rooster (@rooster_ohio) December 19, 2024
The separation of church and state is a principle that derives from the Consitution’s First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.” In recent years, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court of the United States has chipped away at separation of church and state precedent with rulings upholding prayer in public schools and public money for religious schools.
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