Watch a previous NBC4 report on H.B. 68 in the video player above.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Several central Ohio school districts are speaking out in support of LGBTQ+ students as a law banning gender-affirming care for minors and transgender athletes’ participation in women’s sports is set to take effect.
Columbus City Schools, Bexley City Schools, Westerville City Schools and Worthington Schools released statements against House Bill 68, legislation to prohibit Ohio’s children’s hospitals from providing treatment like gender-reassignment surgery and hormone therapy to trans minors. The treatment is backed by every major medical association in the nation, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
“Legislating such discriminatory measures against Ohio’s LGBTQ+ community now makes it impossible for educational leaders across the state to create educational environments and provide opportunities for all children,” said Westerville City Schools. “No child should feel discriminated against or marginalized.”
Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed the legislation late last year after visiting several children’s hospitals, stating he could not support a measure that bans healthcare deemed life-saving by patients and families. Still, the Statehouse voted to override the governor’s decision earlier this month. The legislation will now take effect in April.
“We are deeply disappointed that the General Assembly has chosen to defy the governor, medical community, the Ohio High School Athletic Association, LGBTQ+ community, and parents of trans kids to target an already vulnerable group of Ohio’s children,” said Worthington Schools Superintendent Trent Bowers.
The law will also bar trans girls from taking part in female athletics and revoke the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s trans athlete policy, a measure that is allowing seven trans girls to participate in high school sports this school year. The OHSAA asserts its policy is effective in protecting the integrity of girls’ sports while also providing opportunities for trans students.
Bexley City Schools Superintendent Jason Fine said the district is “saddened” by the general assembly’s action, but is committed to ensuring that every student feels safe, respected, and valued.
“We believe in the fundamental right of every student to express their identity and to learn in an atmosphere of dignity and mutual respect,” said Fine in a joint statement with Board of Education President Victoria Powers. “Our district is dedicated to providing an inclusive and supportive educational experience for all.”
Columbus City Schools said it is “committed to ensuring that all of its students, including transgender and gender variant students, are provided a safe, supportive, and equitable educational environment.”
The ACLU of Ohio announced on Monday it is filing a lawsuit to halt the law before it takes effect. The organization said “families should be able to make these private, personal decisions based on the advice of their physicians, and free from interference by politicians,” and argued “H.B. 68 is not only cruel, it violates the Ohio Constitution.”
However, Rep. Gary Click (R-Vickery), the primary sponsor of H.B. 68, called gender-affirming care an “experiment” and has long argued “children are incapable of providing the informed consent necessary to make those very risky and life-changing decisions.”
Click said H.B. 68 was written to withstand legal challenges, and noted the suit will by heard by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which previously upheld gender-affirming care bans enacted in Kentucky and Tennessee.
Westerville and Worthington noted school counselors are available to speak with students to provide additional support during this time, and that the “never-ending work to foster that inclusivity and sense of belonging across the district will continue despite this recent setback.”
“Despite any present and future roadblocks implemented by state leaders, the Westerville City School District remains committed to providing educational experiences and environments that support ALL students — especially if they are part of an already-vulnerable group of children.”