FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 14, 2023
Contact: Neil Bhaerman, 412-266-4899, nbhaerman@oft-aft.org
OFT President: Governor DeWine Should Veto HB 68
Columbus, OH — Ohio Federation of Teachers President Melissa Cropper released the following statement in response to the Ohio Senate’s passage of HB 68:
“Every Ohio student, no matter what they look like or how they identify, deserves respect and an equal opportunity. HB 68, particularly the ban on allowing trans students to participate in sports teams with their gender, flies in the face of this goal by writing discrimination into the law and targeting some of Ohio’s most vulnerable students.
The Ohio High School Athletic Association and the National Collegiate Athletic Association have both already implemented detailed policies that ensure that trans students have equal opportunity while maintaining fair competition in women’s sports. Throwing these carefully and thoughtfully crafted policies out in favor of widespread discrimination of trans athletes doesn’t benefit students or address any actual problems in Ohio’s schools, colleges and universities.
Signing HB 68 would send a clear message to Ohioans — and the out of state businesses and families that Governor DeWine is trying to attract to Ohio — that Ohio values discrimination over inclusion and divisive culture wars over pragmatic solutions. We urge Governor DeWine to veto this unnecessary and mean-spirited bill.”