ALEC Policy Champion Protects Free Speech and Restores Academic Excellence on Ohio Campuses
ALEC congratulates Senator Cirino for his bold vision and tireless advocacy on behalf of Ohio students.
ALEC is thrilled to recognize Ohio State Sen. Jerry Cirino as our latest Policy Champion, thanks to his work in leading the Advance Ohio Education Act to passage. This legislation reforms Ohio’s public higher education system to better protect the First Amendment rights of campus community members, ensure curriculum transparency, prohibit discriminatory practices, and maintain academic freedom.
The Advance Ohio Education Act contains many of the provisions found in ALEC’s SCOTUS Anti-Discrimination Implementation Act, which became a model policy following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. In this case, the Court ruled that race-based admissions practices were unconstitutional.
The legislation also contains provisions found in ALEC’s Freedom from Indoctrination Act, which prohibits public institutions of higher education from requiring students to take courses that advance concepts that violate the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Similarly, the model policy prohibits any requirement that faculty members attend training sessions that advance the same ideas. The model policy also requires that freshman orientation materials affirm the student’s First Amendment rights.
“This bill will restore the fundamental right to free speech on campus and prevent professors from censoring or punishing opposing views expressed by students,” stated Cirino. “This bill will also protect the free speech rights of professors and help curb the woke screening process DEI poses to faculty hiring at our institutions of higher education.”
Cirino’s leadership on this legislation reflects his long-standing commitment to restoring academic excellence and viewpoint diversity on Ohio’s college campuses. Thanks to his initiative, Ohio has become a national model for how states can reclaim the promise of higher education while protecting students’ rights to learn in an environment free from political coercion and discrimination.
ALEC congratulates Sen. Cirino for his bold vision and tireless advocacy on behalf of Ohio students.