Ingram Condemns Passage of Forced Outing and Religious Release Bill

Today, state Senator Catherine Ingram (D-Cincinnati) condemned the Ohio Senate’s passage of House Bill 8, which threatens LGBTQ+ student safety and imposes excessive demands on public educators.

“Unfortunately, when they say, ‘parents’ bill of rights,’ they only mean some parents,” said Ingram. “We continue to undermine the competency of local control, our teachers, and our children by passing legislation such as this. Throughout our committee hearings, I offered 13 amendments to H.B. 8 and the now-included S.B. 293 in an effort to address the concerns of our constituents. My attempts weren’t truly heard and were deliberately ignored.” 

House Bill 8 requires public schools to notify parents about any matters concerning a student’s mental health, emotional well-being, or requests related to gender identity. Critics argue these mandates strain the relationships between teachers and parents and compromise student safety by discouraging open communication between students and educators. The bill imposes an unfunded mandate on schools through complicated reporting requirements and complaint processes.

The bill was also amended in committee to include provisions from Senate Bill 293, which requires all Ohio school districts to allow students to leave during the day for religious instruction. Both provisions will further burden our teachers and schools who need more resources, not mandates, from the state as they work to help our students succeed academically.

House Bill 8 now awaits a concurrence vote in the House.