Despite objections from teacher organizations, the NAACP, the ACLU, physicians and social workers, an Ohio House committee passed a bill to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion training at Ohio colleges and universities.
Senate Bill 83, which has passed the Senate and heads to a full House vote after an 8-7 vote Wednesday in the House Workforce and Higher Education Committee, also bans what it calls “controversial beliefs or policies,” including issues like climate change, electoral politics, foreign policy, immigration policy, marriage or abortion.
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The legislation would also require mandatory trustee training and syllabus transparency, allowing students, families and taxpayers to know course content, reading materials and individual professors.
The state’s higher education institutions would also be required to develop a mission statement that clearly states a commitment to diversity of thought and the First Amendment and provide specific cost breakdowns for tuition.
Students would have to complete an American history/citizenship court to earn a degree.
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“Do we want the state of Ohio to be a place where diversity is celebrated, or one which places unnecessary restrictions on our institutions of higher education under the guise of racial neutrality?” said Tom Roberts, president of the Ohio Chapter of the NAACP. “This bill undercuts proactive efforts to ensure that students feel safe, supported and in an environment that promotes civic understanding and racial equality.”
