Fowler Arthur Gives Sponsor Testimony on HB 403

COLUMBUS – State Representative Sarah Fowler Arthur (R-Ashtabula) gave sponsor testimony yesterday on House Bill 403 in Primary and Secondary Education Committee. This legislation will add a teacher or school employee who retires while under threat of disciplinary investigation or threat of termination to the list of mandatory reports to the Ohio Department of Education (ODE).

House Bill 403 will require that a school district administrator or superintendent of a chartered nonpublic or public school must file a report with ODE if a teacher has retired while they are currently under threat of disciplinary investigation. Current law only requires the school to report such a case if a teacher resigns, but not if they are to retire. 

This legislation would ensure that whether a teacher retires or resigns while under disciplinary investigation they would be reported to ODE. 

“It is imperative that we close this loophole that exists in current law to ensure that our students are safe when they go to school across our state,” said Fowler Arthur.