COLUMBUS, Ohio — Students erupted into protest, chanting "Higher Ed is dead" after Ohio Republican senators passed a controversial bill that would ban diversity initiatives, curb union rights and police how "controversial topics" are taught on college campuses.
Students from across the state missed class on Tuesday and Wednesday in order to make a point to state lawmakers.
"Senate Bill 1 is going to be the start of a problem," Sabrina Estevez, a sophomore at Ohio State University, said.
Estevez was one of the nearly 850 public opponents to S.B. 1 — the most divisive policy in recent state history.
"It's a solution to a problem that we don't have in classrooms, right?" the college student said.
State Senator Jerry Cirino (R-Kirtland) reintroduced S.B. 1, formerly S.B. 83, last General Assembly — his higher education overhaul bill to prevent so-called liberal bias.
"A lot of it is related to making sure that diversity of thought is practiced as a policy in our universities and community colleges," Cirino said.
This massive bill focuses on what Cirino calls “free speech,” banning public universities in Ohio from Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives, having “bias” in the classroom and limiting how “controversial topics” can and can’t be taught. The elimination of DEI would mean no diversity offices, training or scholarships.
I have been covering Cirino's proposal for years now, including his press conference of its reintroduction in Jan.
"It's important that the subject discussion be balanced and that there's no indoctrination," the Republican said. "There's no intent to force the students to agree with the professor."
Estevez said there is nothing wrong with her education.
"[Students are] encouraged to ask questions, encouraged to ask hard questions and inform opinions for themselves," she said. "That is quite literally the opposite of indoctrination."
She is majoring in international studies and political science, so she fears that since "foreign policy" is considered a "controversial belief or policy" in the bill, her education could be decimated by professors' confusion on how to teach accurate information under the restrictive legislation.
"I think it's a very selfish move by the legislature," she said.
Other topics considered controversial include climate change, electoral politics, DEI, immigration, marriage and abortion.
When it comes to said controversial topics, Cirino said that "everybody's opinions are welcome and given respect."
For those who believe the earth is flat, the lawmaker offered, "The faculty member would have to figure out how to deal with that."
What about the Holocaust, I asked Cirino.
When it comes to controversial topics, Jewish students and professors reached out to me to share worries about how the genocide may be covered. In 2022, a state representative told me that the Holocaust should be taught from "both sides," with her meaning from the Jewish people and "German soldiers."
With Holocaust deniers continually on the rise, I asked how the bill may blur the line between free speech, hate speech and the ability to educate about a historic event accurately.
"I'm going to use my right of free speech and tell you that Holocaust deniers are nuts, okay," the Republican responded. "That's my view."
If a professor is teaching a world history course and a student denies or diminishes the genocide, the professor has "several options available," he said.
"They can pick up the student and throw them out the door; they can debate with the student and explain the preponderance of evidence to the contrary... Try to educate that person as to why their position might be wrong," he said.
That's the back and forth that should happen, he added.
"They shouldn't be shouted down, even though they're nuts... The environment we want to have is to educate, to enlighten other people to the truth," the lawmaker continued. "Sometimes they won't see it or they don't want to see it. That's fine. But that's the environment we should have in higher ed."
"You said the first option would be to remove them from the classroom. Would that be going against Senate Bill 1?" I asked.
"No, I'm not suggesting that that's what anybody should do. It's a ridiculous option," Cirino responded. "Hopefully nobody will attempt to do that on any subject. But I was just using that as an example, as a contrast to 'let's educate and talk about the preponderance of facts that are to the contrary.'"
Despite the overwhelming opposition and an eight-hour hearing Tuesday night, the bill passed the Senate 21-11.
Republican state Sens. Bill Blessing (Colerain Township) and Tom Patton (Strongsville) voted against it. Blessing has been vocal about respecting academic freedom, while Patton is arguably the lawmaker who is most supportive of union workers — like educators.
In comparison to the 837 pieces of opposition testimony, only 14 were in support. Not a single one came from a college student at a public university. This doesn't bother Cirino.
"The sheer numbers are irrelevant," he said. "It's about policy and what is the best policy for us to pursue in terms of higher education."
RELATED: More than 800 people submit testimony against Ohio’s massive higher education overhaul bill
The bill heads to the House, where it faces a greater challenge. Last year, many Republicans, opposed the legislation because of its provisions on unions. It prevents faculty members from being able to strike, and it ends tenure.
Click here to read more in-depth about how the labor union feels about the strikes and tenure provisions, plus more from bill supporters.
"That's certainly one of the provisions that people are gonna be upset about," House Speaker Matt Huffman (R-Lima) responded when I asked if it was going to be a challenge to pass S.B. 1 with the provisions against striking, collective bargaining and tenure.
The speaker is a supporter of the bill, though, and will talk to his caucus once the legislation makes its way over.
For Estevez, she warned the legislators that students and professors will leave the state if S.B. 1 passes both chambers and gets signed into law.
"Would you have gone to a school in Ohio if Senate Bill 1 had been in effect?" I asked the student.
"I think my answer to that is a clear no," the sophomore responded.
Follow WEWS statehouse reporter Morgan Trau on Twitter and Facebook.
