Ohio House passes bill allowing student answers to be scientifically wrong due to religion

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WKRC) - Ohio lawmakers are weighing in on how public schools can teach things like evolution.

The Ohio House of Representatives has already passed the bill. Its sponsor, Timothy Ginter, says he just wants to clarify a student's rights to religious expression, but some lawmakers on the other side of the aisle say the bill isn't needed because of the First Amendment.

The bill is called the Ohio Student Religious Liberties Act. It requires schools to give student religious groups the same access to facilities as secular groups.

It also bans schools from restricting students from religious expression when they complete homework assignments. While some critics have said that means students can incorrectly answer questions based on their religion, Ginter says students will still have to answer questions based on what they're taught at school.

“Under House Bill 164, a Christian or Jewish student would not be able to say my religious texts teach me that the world is 6,000 years old, so I don't have to answer this question. They're still going to be tested in the class and they cannot ignore the class material,” said Ginter.

Instead, students are graded on substance and relevance.

Every Republican in the House supported the bill. It now moves to the Republican-controlled Senate.