A religious liberties bill in Ohio is being criticized by detractors who allege it could be used to prohibit teachers from penalizing scientifically false answers on assignments.
In a 61-31 vote on Wednesday, the Ohio House sent the legislation, the Student Religious Liberties Act, to the state Senate. Among other provisions, the bill requires public schools to give groups expressing religious beliefs equal access to facilities and bans schools from restricting students from religious expression when completing homework and assignments, according to Cleveland.com.
The sponsor of the bill, Republican state Rep. Timothy Ginter, said that the legislation is needed given the pressures that today’s students face, including drug use, depression, and suicide.
“We live in a day when our young people are experiencing stress and danger and challenges we never experienced growing up,” Ginter said.
Gary Daniels, American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio’s chief lobbyist, said he was pleased that the bill helps remove some restrictions on students’ ability to express religion but warned it could also force teachers not to penalize students who claim the Earth is only 10,000 years old on assignments, a belief that some creationists hold.
“Under [the bill], the answer is ‘no,’ as this legislation clearly states the instructor ‘shall not penalize or reward a student based on the religious content of a student’s work,’” Daniels said.
Ginter, however, disputes that notion. He said the student would still be penalized and noted that even if the student doesn’t believe in evolution, they must turn in an assignment reflecting what is taught.
“It will be graded using ordinary academic standards of using substance and relevance,” he said.
He said the difference would be more akin to a student writing about Muhammad or Moses for an assigned report on historic figures.
“This doesn’t give student a Get Out of Jail Free card,” Ginter said.
Some Democrats in the state House questioned the relevancy of the bill and noted that religious expression is already protected under the Constitution.
“We already have religious freedom protected at the federal and state level,” said state Rep. Phillip Robinson.
