Parents sue Ohio school district over teachers, LGBTQ issues

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A lawsuit has been filed in federal court against a Columbus-area school district, with parents claiming teachers are discussing LGBTQ issues with students without parental consent, according to reports.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court is asking that teachers in Hilliard City Schools be prohibited from having discussions on “sexual matters” with students and also that teachers not be allowed to wear badges showing support for LGBTQ students.

Eight parents are part of the lawsuit: Rachel Kattenbach, Daniel and Sarah Kamento, Bethany Bussell, Jennifer King, Tanya Ciomek, Leizl Zirkle and Lisa B. Chaffee, the Dispatch reports.

The parents claim in the lawsuit that “activist teachers” are talking to students as young as 6 years old about sexual orientation and gender identity and that they’re doing it without parental consent, WCMH Channel 4 reports. WBNS Channel 10 says parents filing the lawsuit also cite a survey given to students about what pronouns they prefer.

“Teachers are taking specific actions to hide these conversations from parents,” the complaint says, according to WCMH. “Although, perhaps well-intentioned, this is a recipe for indoctrination and child abuse.”

The school district has not commented on the lawsuit, according to multiple reports.

But Amanda Erickson, director of education and outreach at Kaleidoscope Youth Center, tells WCMH that the majority of LGBTQ youth have trouble finding acceptance at home and that many turn to a supportive adult at their schools.

“It can be really difficult for a young person to come out for the very time and they’re going to have that conversation with the person that they trust,” Erickson tells WCMH. “Oftentimes, it is a parent or a caregiver, and we would love for that to happen, and sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s a friend at school, a teacher at school, a counselor.”

The Dispatch reports the teachers union did not comment on the lawsuit. However, it released a statement in September backing teachers wearing “I’m here. Safe person. Safe space” badges in support of LGBTQ students.

“Unfortunately, extremists working to amplify the playbooks of a national network of political radicals are once again trying to manufacture controversy and weaponize LGBTQ+ issues to distract Ohioans from the very real issues facing our schools,” the statement in September said.

The lawsuit is asking that the district be required to notify parents if their child is using different pronouns at school, reports say. The Dispatch reports that at least 30 parents have been asking the district to clarify its policies on LGBTQ issues.

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