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Bill To Have Ohio Schools Teach Kids About Sexual Abuse Faces Opposition

Students sit in a lecture with a teacher in front of the classroom.
Sam Balye
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Unsplash

At least three dozen states have passed a law that requires age-appropriate instruction of child sexual abuse education and prevention in schools. A similar bill is in an Ohio Senate committee now but is facing opposition from a conservative Christian group.

There was bipartisan support when the House passed the bill earlier this year, but Aaron Baer with the Center for Christian Virtue said his group is opposed because it doesn’t have an opt-out requirement for parents and doesn’t prevent some groups from providing the educational materials.

“A lot of this curriculum, the sexual violence prevention, is the same people like Planned Parenthood or SEICUS that want to teach inappropriate sexual curriculum to children at young ages,” Baer said.

As written, the bill gives the Ohio Department of Education authority to choose the resources for age-appropriate training on sexual abuse and violence prevention.

Copyright 2021 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.

Jo Ingles is a professional journalist who covers politics and Ohio government for the Ohio Public Radio and Television for the Ohio Public Radio and Television Statehouse News Bureau. She reports on issues of importance to Ohioans including education, legislation, politics, and life and death issues such as capital punishment.