Senate Democrats Denounce Neo-Nazi Home Schooling Indoctrination and Call for Stronger Oversight

Today, Senate Minority Leader Nickie J. Antonio (D-Lakewood) and Senator Catherine D. Ingram (D-Cincinnati) issued the following statements in response to recent news reports that a married couple from Upper Sandusky has been advocating a neo-Nazi-approved curriculum for use by parents who home-school:

“I applaud the efforts of citizen activists and journalists who have brought to light the efforts of neo-Nazi home-schoolers who are promoting a Nazi-infused curriculum for parents,” said Senator Antonio. “This type of hatred has no place in Ohio, nor its education system. I respect the rights of parents to determine their children’s education, which can include home schooling. However, we need to carefully examine how we currently regulate home school curriculum.”

“We need to ensure that home schooling is not an opportunity for parents to systemically teach their children hatred,” said Senator Ingram, the Ranking Member on the Ohio Senate Education Committee. “Senate Bill 1, which is pending in Education Committee, weakens home schooling requirements. The legislature must protect our children from instruction fueled by racism and intolerance.”

As introduced, SB 1 reduces the oversight of home schooling in Ohio. According to the bill analysis prepared by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, school superintendents would no longer be required to receive any proof of the qualifications of home educators to teach home-schooled students. There is currently no meaningful review of home schooling curriculum in Ohio law.
Read the full articles here and here.