COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Board of Education on Tuesday passed a resolution that would reject President Joe Biden's amendment to Title IX designed to protect LGBTQ students from discrimination.
The board approve the resolution by a vote of 10-7 with one abstention.
Earlier this year, the Biden administration announced it would expand Title IX protections for LGBTQ students. Title IX is landmark law passed in 1972 that made it illegal to discriminate against girls or girls' sports teams in public education.
“That's the reason why we wouldn't want males entering female sports or female bathrooms,” said Brendan Shea who proposed the resolution back in October.
The resolution would require school districts to tell parents when their child "questions their gender identity," wants to be identified by another name or pronoun or other matters related to their gender identity.
The resolution also asks the legislature to approve a ban on teaching students in kindergarten through third grade about sexual orientation and gender identity.
The expanded definition of Title IX requires schools to allow access to bathrooms, locker rooms and sports teams to transgender students. The goal of the expansion was to provide more protection for students against discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Supporters urged the board to vote for the measure, saying it will prevent schools from shielding parents if their children identify as transgender.
Opponents of the measure argue it will cause harm to transgender youth by outing them when they aren't ready to tell their parents and will increase bullying in schools because they will not be a protected class.
The vote drew rebuke from several Ohio lawmakers.
“This State Board of Education Resolution is yet again another egregious and harmful attempt to attack and isolate transgender children,” said Rep. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood). “It is our duty as elected officials to protect all students in Ohio, but this Resolution actively puts them in harm’s way. I support the important proposed federal rule changes to expand Title IX to protect transgender students from discrimination.”
"As elected officials, we have a duty to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of all students. This anti-LGBTQ+ resolution is nothing more than lawless, state-sanctioned bullying that hurts children and parents across Ohio," said Phil Robinson (D-Solon).
Some people within the LGBTQ community feel a precedent is being set within the state.
"It hurts to allow abuse to happen to those who are born in the skin they don't belong in,” said Lisa McLymont. "As a queer Black woman, this just making it that much harder to just live and feel some sense of freedom in the world.”
McLymont's fear is the social pressures many students could face.
"That's one more thing that those that don't fit in that parameter have to fight through to keep our chins up in the world,” she said.
Schools in Ohio that do not go along with Biden's amendment risk losing federal funding for their school lunch program.
Under the resolution, it directs the interim superintendent to send a letter within 21 days to all school districts in Ohio to explain the boards stance on the issue.
The resolution, specifically the letter, is “intended to inform schools and districts, not to compel them to take a particular course of action.”
Essentially, the resolution is not a law and is unenforceable.
A spokesperson from Columbus City Schools said the district was against the resolution, calling it "outrageous" and "absolutely disgusting."