Ohio Senate Bill 34, known as the Historical Educational Displays Act, would require public school classrooms to display a historical document from a designated list, including the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Ten Commandments. The legislation has drawn strong reactions from both sides, with proponents calling it a return to foundational values and opponents condemning it as an attempt at religious indoctrination in public schools.
Historical Educational Displays Act
Ohio Senate Bill 34 would require all public school classrooms to display a historical document from the following list: the United States Constitution; the Articles of Confederation; the Bill of Rights; the Magna Carta; the Mayflower Compact; the Declaration of Independence; the mottoes of Ohio and the U.S.; and, controversially, the Ten Commandments.
The school board for each district would be responsible for deciding which document to display. The bill requires each document to be clearly visible and accompanied by a description of its historical significance.
According to a nonpartisan analysis by the Ohio Legislative Service Commission, the Ohio Department of Education website would be required to post materials assisting public schools with this development. The bill also states that schools must determine the amount of money needed toward this end but may accept donations to use instead of their own funds.
Proponent Perspectives
Ohioans are split regarding the bill and its implications moving forward.
A sponsor testimony from State Senator Terry Johnson calls it "inexcusable" that historical texts have not been emphasized in Ohio's public schools, "denying the vital legal and moral essence that our children need to thrive as good American citizens."
Tim Throckmorton, a proponent from the Family Research Council, similarly states, "This bill will add value to the children and the future of Ohio." He specifically defends the inclusion of the Ten Commandments in the list of documents, saying, "The Ten Commandments have been a core part of an essential American education for more than three centuries."
Throckmorton quotes in his testimony first President George Washington: "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports."
Opponent Perspectives
Denouncers of the bill, however, regard it not as upholding American values but as pushing religious indoctrination.
Jacob Smith, an English education major at Wright State, stated, "I agree with the bill's sentiment that important historical documents should be easily recognizable by our students." However, he described the policy outlined in the bill as "bizarre and redundant."
Smith added that one important document in the list, the Bill of Rights, emphasizes religious freedom and the separation of church and state.
"To teach students about this and, in turn, display the Ten Commandments in the classroom sends a very contradictory message," Smith said. "I and many other teachers live by the policy of teaching students 'how to think, not what to think' and leaving our personal beliefs at the door."
Other, more public opponents of the bill include the ACLU.
Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist at the ACLU of Ohio, stated in an opponent testimony: "SB 34 is a plainly obvious attempt to impose explicit religious beliefs and practices on young, captive audiences in our public schools."
Daniels stated that the Ten Commandments are inherently religious, and to post them in public schools would be disrespectful to students of different faiths and the right to secularism. He added that the freedom of choice offered by the bill's list of acceptable documents may be misleading.
"Pass this bill, and [SB 34 supporters] will focus their energy and resources on school districts across Ohio, demanding they choose the Ten Commandments as one of the document(s) for display," said Daniels. "Or perhaps the only one."
