Bill headed by Salem Rep. would protect religious freedom of students
A bill passed by the Ohio House of Representatives Friday would help to protect the religious freedom of students.
State Representative Tim Ginter of Salem heads the bill.
Ginter said the Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act of 2019 would ensure that students can engage in religious expression, the same as students involved in secular activities.
"As Ohio grows into a more diverse state, it has become clear that many teachers and school administrators do not understand what the First Amendment protects and prohibits," Ginter said. "House Bill 164 provides clarity that Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and students of any faith – or no faith at all – do not surrender their religious freedom rights merely because they are attending a public school."
According to Ginter, the goal of the bill is to remove ambiguity for schools regarding religious expression by students.
The bill states that schools cannot prohibit students from engaging in religious expression in their clothing or completion of homework.
"If a student is assigned to write a book report and chooses to write about a religious book, they would have to fulfill the same requirements of the assignment as a student whose report is on a non-religious book," he said.