COLUMBUS, Ohio —Gov. Mike DeWine has a stack of bill to consider over the holidays, and one of the bills is drawing more attention than others. House Bill 8, known as the ‘Parents' Bill of Rights,’ is now in the governor’s hands getting closer to becoming law.

What You Need To Know

  • House Bill 8 is at the governor's desk

  • The bill would force schools to tell parents before teaching their children content that deals with sexuality

  • Proponents of the bill say it gives parents a say on their child’s curriculum

  • Opponents say it would target a specific group, and children would be the collateral damage

It would force schools to tell parents before teaching their children content that deals with sexuality. 

Proponents of the bill said it would give parents a say on their child’s curriculum while opponents disagreed, saying it would target a specific group, and children would be the collateral damage.

“Look I’m going to review every bill, and our team is looking through every bill, to make sure there’s not anything in there that we were surprised about or that we did not catch before,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. “There were changes that were made in this at our request.”

The Parents' Bill of Rights is getting closer to becoming law, and that’s why it’s sparking reactions.

“We’re excited for parents throughout the state of Ohio to be able to control their child’s upbringing when it comes to their educational choices and health care decisions that they make that’s the purpose of the bill,” Mike Andrews, communications director at Center for Christian Virtue, said.

Another thing this bill would do is, if a child mentioned a different sex, or gender, than what they’re biologically assigned, teachers would be required to tell the parents.

Charles Ferguson is a senior pastor of Clair United Methodist Church in Columbus and said this is an issue that should be dealt with differently.

“You’re talking about informing parents about what their child believes about themselves, which moves from their own fear of not talking about it or it initially to now you’re outing them and downright embarrassing them," Ferguson said.

This bill is putting children at risk, Ferguson said. These are issues that should be dealt with differently and with more care toward children who may feel this way. 

“I come from a denomination that says do no harm, and we should do no harm,” Ferguson said. “But this is straight up doing harm on purpose.”

Andrews disagreed and said this is something that could bring parents and children closer. 

“Allows parents to have the right to control their child’s upbringing,” Andrews said. “It keeps them in the loop if there are any discussions around sexuality and gender that are taking place in the public school system.”

Andrews said that the bill goes even further, expanding to religious studies.

“It also gives parents the opportunity to choose elective courses like religious release time instruction for their children,” Andrews said. “If they think that’s best for their care and upbringing.”

But Ferguson said this is another one of his concerns.

“Go to Sunday school, go to bible study,” Ferguson said. “Do those things that are already in existence. You don’t have to take away from a child’s education and the balance of their education to try to do those things.”

According to the Bill, teachers would have to inform parents of "any oral or written instruction…or description of sexual concepts or gender ideology.”

“The goal of the bill is to ensure that parents are not kept in the dark,” Andrews said.

Ferguson says this goes too far for the children’s mental health.

“You are basically shaming people into shaming kids,” Ferguson said.

But the governor has the last word on whether this bill becomes law.

“I think it’s likely that I will sign the bill,” DeWine said.

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