COLUMBUS, Ohio — Last week, Ohio House Republicans introduced a bill, similar to a law recently enacted in Florida, which restricts how teachers can teach students about sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill limits teachers from teaching about certain racial topics as well.

What You Need To Know

  • Ohio House Republicans introduced a bill similar to a Florida law which restricts how teachers teach students about sexual orientation and gender identity

  • The bill would not allow public and private school teachers in kindergarten through 3rd grade to "teach, use, or provide any curriculum or instructional materials on sexual orientation or gender identity"

  • The bill also brings back the idea of banning "Critical Race Theory" in schools

Two mothers, who are split on what they think is best for their children and others to learn in school, spoke with Spectrum News 1.

"It's a struggle for her, and it's a struggle when people don't accept her or understand her," said Erin Bonnell, a mother of two LGTBQ children. Her youngest, a 10-year-old, was assigned male at birth but began identifying as a girl five years ago.

"We would have nightly meltdowns, and she would talk about wanting to harm herself, wanting to talk about that she was worthless," Bonnell said.

Bonnell said her daughter had a tough time in school ever since, because her daughter feels like she constantly has a battle to fight.

"I hate watching my child struggle. When my child comes home and just said things like, 'someone called me and said I'm not really a girl, I'm a boy and I need to act it,'" said Bonnell.

Bonnell thinks more education on sexual orientation and gender identity would help not just her daughter, but others feel more welcome and protected.

​"I would love to be able to see within Ohio, within the country, that we need to learn our true history," Bonnell said.

But a pair Ohio House Republican lawmakers and some other parents disagree. Rep. Mike Loychik, R-Bazetta, and Rep. Jean Schmidt, R-Loveland, introduced House Bill 616, which is similar to the so-called "Don't Say Gay" law in Florida. It would not allow public and private school teachers in kindergarten through 3rd grade teach or promote sexual orientation or gender identity. It would also ban the same thing in regards to "divisive or inherently racist concepts."

Neither lawmaker responded to Spectrum News 1's request for comment.

"For Moms for Liberty, we like this bill. I think it's too bad that it can be so polarizing because I think both sides really want what's best for children," said Marla Phillis, vice chair of Moms For Liberty Franklin County.

Phillis, a mom of six, said after her 16-year-old daughter was accused of being racist because she is white, she needed to do something.

"My child is the most loving and inclusive person you can ever imagine. So that actually was my impetus to getting involved with Moms For Liberty and trying to find out, OK, who taught you that? Where did you hear that? Because the color of your skin doesn't determine, you know, whether or not you're a racist. That's the silliest thing I've ever heard," said Phillis.

According to its website, Moms For Liberty is focused on "standing up for parental rights at all levels of government."

"Our belief is that it's not necessarily just a heterosexual parent issue. It's an all parental issue. Any parent, whether you're gay or lesbian or wherever you fall in the gender identity, you want to protect your child's innocence for as long as you can," Phillis said.

The bill also states 4th-12th graders can talk about LGBTQ topics, but only when the state says it is appropriate. Lastly, the bill brings back the idea of banning "Critical Race Theory" in schools, language that was previously removed from another bill Republicans introduced.

"This is a solution looking for a problem that doesn't exist," said Melissa Cropper, who has been president of the Ohio Federation of Teachers the last 10 years.

The Ohio Federation of Teachers, one of the largest teacher unions in the state, does not support the bill. 

"We were very frustrated by it and very angered by it. There are so many problems that we need to be tackling right now in education, and this is a distractor. It's divisive in nature, and it does harm. It does no good for students, does nothing to improve our education system," Cropper said.

In addition to potential harm, LGBTQ advocates said House Bill 616 sends the wrong message about what most Ohioans really care about.

"You know, in the state of Ohio, where we have such a rich history of diversity and inclusion. Our community has been built by such a varied identity of people, and so to have a bill like this that is diminishing to identity, diminishing to culture, diminishing to perspective, doesn't seem to speak to the true values of our state," said Stonewall Columbus Executive Director Densil Porteous.

Former Congressman Steve Stivers, who is now president and CEO of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, has said the Chamber is concerned some of the language in House Bill 616 could hurt efforts to bring talent and business into the state. House Bill 616 has yet to be referred to a committee.​​​

Medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association, also condemned similar bills, saying they "do not in anyway protect children," the AAP wrote in a March press release in response to Florida's so-called "Don't Say Gay" bill.  

“Prohibiting classroom discussion on these topics sends the message that identifying as LGBTQ is inherently wrong, stigmatizing and marginalizing children who may realize their difference at a young age," wrote Frank Worrell, the president of the APA in March. 

Spectrum News 1 asked Gov. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, Thursday about his thoughts on the bill. The governor would not say if he supports it in its current form. The governor pointed out the legislature is not in session right now and the bill could change. For more context, he typically does not give his opinion on every bill that is introduced.

However, the governor gave a general answer about some issues the bill's sponsors raise in the bill.

"I don't know anyone who thinks it's a great idea to be talking to 1st graders or 2nd graders or kindergarten children in regard to sex education in school. I just don't think that that's the proper role of the school. So there's certainly some things that we could all agree on," said DeWine. "We want history to be taught, ... the good and the bad. So, you know, these are some of these issues, these issues that we're hearing about in the legislature, we're hearing about from parents. Parents are not only the first teachers. You know, we want parents to be directly involved in what goes on in the schools. They have every right to do that. It's their child."

When Spectrum News 1 spoke with Phillis, she claimed the issues mentioned in House Bill 616 are being taught in different schools. She also claimed to have video proof but refused to share any evidence.

Spectrum News 1 has yet to receive any confirmation from any school in the state that it is teaching any of of the topics surrounding HB 616 in K-12 schools.