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COLUMBUS — Ohio has a rich history in combatting racism and was one of the key states in the Underground Railroad movement.
Last summer in a knee-jerk reaction, the Ohio State Board of Education passed a resolution stating there are systemic inequalities in the state among students of different racial backgrounds. But with the absence of the violent uprisings in 2020, it seems cooler heads have prevailed.
National social unrest instigated by Black Lives Matter led to billions of dollars of damage to urban neighborhoods and businesses. During the insurrection, the Ohio State Board of Education (OSBOE) passed Resolution 20 which included action steps to examine standards and model curriculum for bias and ensure racism and the struggle for equality are adequately taught.
While the resolution was supposed to promote conversations about racism, it turned out to be a power grab. Biased OSBOE meetings stamped out speech expressing opposition to the policy and an unequal playing field resulted. But in a recent development, in a 10-7 vote, the OSBOE courageously repealed the divisive Resolution 20.
While Resolution 20 indicted Ohio for systemic racism, the facts reveal the opposite. Slavery was never legalized in Ohio, it was abolished by the Northwest Territory before Ohio became a state. Segregation was never legal in Ohio. Discriminatory housing and lending patterns have been illegal for over fifty years and were never part of the Revised or Administrative Codes.
After the repeal vote, both Board President Laura Kohler and Member Eric Poklar who supported Resolution 20 resigned. Kohler resigned after admitting the Ohio Senate had enough votes to remove her. Richard J. Chernesky of Warren County and Brandon Kern of Fairfield County will be filling their vacated positions.
The embattled Kohler is no stranger to controversy. A lawsuit in 2021 was taken out against Kohler and four board members including Member Christina Collins for limiting public input on issues regarding racism.
Kohler publicly admitted, “As President, I made the decision in the late fall of 2020 to limit public comment on two issues, the Board’s Resolution to Condemn Racism and to Advance Equality and Opportunity for Black Students, Indigenous Students and Students of Color, and the 1619 Project to written testimony only.
“As President, I made the decision in the late fall of 2020 to limit public comment on two issues: the Board’s Resolution to Condemn Racism and to Advance Equality and Opportunity for Black Students, Indigenous Students, and Students of Color, and also on the 1619 Project to written testimony only.”
Ex Ohio State Board of Education President Laura Kohler
Ironically, the contested resolution contained a section stating “the board will look for ways to engage our members in open and courageous conversations on racism and inequity.”
State Board Member Christiana Collins of District 5 representing Richland, Ashland and Wayne counties was in the minority supporting the divisive systemic racism resolution during the repeal vote.
Christina Collins was included in the lawsuit for her “explicit support, encouragement and ratification” of the policy to prohibit discussion on racial topics. Collins prohibited discussion saying “testimonies and comments would be “bringing in theories or words that are being misconstrued or supporting misconceptions.”
In a legal opinion last month to the State Board of Education, Attorney General David Yost stated that the teaching of “critical race theory in K-12 schools would be unconstitutional. He said the State Board of Education exceeded its authority by requiring state education contractors to take implicit bias training.
The departures of both Kohler and Poklar also come at a time of increased interest in local school board races. The Ohio School Boards Association reports 2,628 candidates are running for school boards this year. And that’s more than a 50% increase from the number of candidates running for school boards four years ago.
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The Bottom of Line:
The Bible says in Proverbs 15, “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute.”
