Click Passes Legislation on School Safety, Religious Release Time Education

COLUMBUS – The Ohio Legislature passed two pieces of legislation sponsored by State Representative Gary Click (R-Vickery) during its lame duck session Wednesday.

HB 206, a measure to bolster safety in Ohio’s schools, extends greater flexibility to district officials and superintends when dealing with students who bring weapons to school or make certain actionable threats against the physical safety of others. The bill authorizes school districts to establish conditions for dangerous students to have satisfied before their reinstatement from expulsion. It further requires that districts provide a free psychological evaluation and continuing education to the student during that time; two requirements which are notably absent from existing law. 

“This bill was brought to me by educators within my district,” said Click. “It allows flexibility for schools to act on appropriate warning signs and ensure that our students and teachers are safe and secure in the classroom.”

The second piece, HB 445, enshrines parent’s rights to direct the education of their children into law by ensuring that each school district in the state has an approved religious release time education policy. A majority of districts have already adopted policies allowing parents and students to take advantage of release time programs which are fully legal and constitutional under Ohio law. The measure ultimately passed after being amended into HB 8.

“Parents, not politicians, should be making these decisions for their children. While many schools have been responsive to the requests of parents, some have not. Regardless of their intentions, their failure to implement these policies results in a denial of Ohioans’ parental rights and constitutional right to the free exercise of religion.” Click said. “It is inappropriate to have a patchwork of religious freedom and parental rights based on the whims of politicized school boards in some of our 611 districts. Restoring local control to parents creates a level playing field and equal opportunity for all, regardless of a student’s zip code.”

Both measures now head to the governor’s desk where they will await his signature.