Republican lawmakers in Ohio are considering an anti-DEI bill so vague that it could affect disabled, special needs, and homeless students.
Senate Bill 113 would require all public school districts in Ohio to terminate DEI trainings, offices, consulting contracts and job titles within 90 days.
But critics of the bill say that the language is so ambiguous that it could annihilate necessary programs for students.
For one, the bill does not define what “diversity, equity, and inclusion” means. Those who testified at the state’s Senate hearing said that the bill in its current form could cause schools to overcorrect for fear of non-compliance with the law.
Gary Daniels, representing the ACLU, told lawmakers that the bill is so vague that it could lead to veterans not even being recruited for school staff positions.
“This could outlaw special education,” said Chris Quinn of the “Today in Ohio” podcast.
“For the longest time, we’ve recognized that some kids have disabilities that hold them back from learning, and we have built systems to help focus on that to get them up to speed. The way this is written could outlaw that,” the said.
Another group of students who may find themselves casualties of this non-specific bill are talented and gifted (often referred to as TAG) students. Teachers and counselors have sounded the alarm on the fact that the bill could affect gifted, homeless and English language learning students. These are all groups that legally require individual attention.
The bill has had its third hearing at which at least 80 pieces of testimony were entered against the bill, mostly due to its ambiguity.
DEI is one of most hotly-debated issues in Ohio. The bill has already had a significant affect on colleges in the state.
In February, a federal judge blocked a similar efforts under Texas Senate Bill 12.
