Hilliard, state board showing how groups are spreading hate in Ohio school |Opinion

Lalitha Pamidigantam is the advocacy manager at YWCA Columbus.

Over the last General Assembly cycle, Ohio has repeatedly made national news as members keep introducing education-related bills that are, at best, government overreach and, at worst, instigating violence and discrimination against already marginalized people.

There is a through line between the anti-critical race theory attacks and the anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.

Ohio has been a key component in a strategy driven by out-of-state interests to introduce the anti-critical race theory, anti-LGBTQ+, and anti-diversity agenda across the country.

And while battles in the Statehouse get the most coverage, we are seeing the flames fanned in another specific and strategic location: K-12 schools.

More:Our view: Critical race theory bills would poison future at the expense of kids

Most recently, in Hilliard City Schools, hundreds attended a tumultuous school board hearing as the board was set to decide on a religious release policy that would allow Christian students to leave school and attend religious education classes.

This policy – though it was only read for the first time with updated language during that meeting – passed.

At the same school board meeting, LGBTQ+ issues were hotly debated, with some parents and community members alleging that “safe-person” badges are offensive and that any signage depicting LGBTQ+ acceptance is “unsuitable.”

The school board did not take any action on the latter subject.

However, the issue was recreated at the state level by the State School Board of Education, where a member-proposed resolution put forth that local school districts ignore federal guidelines on LGBTQ+ student protections and risk losing federal support dollars for free and reduced lunch programs in their schools.

More:Ohio Board of Education resolution says person's sex 'unchangeable fact'

Adopting anti-transgender and anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and risking the loss of lunch dollars is morally reprehensible and systemically poses to harm our most vulnerable students. These policies are making our K-12 schools unfriendly to diverse identities, rejecting diversity, equity, and inclusion values, and fearmongering about LGBTQ+ issues.

In our rapidly diversifying region, passing policies that favor one group at the expense of others is a recipe for disaster. Policy mechanisms can support or they can suppress — and many Ohio school boards are seemingly choosing the latter out of fear.

More:How to submit guest opinion columns to the Columbus Dispatch

YWCA Columbus understands that to eliminate racism and empower women in our community, we must interrogate education policy and act against attempts to harm students. This type of proposed policy produces a cooling effect, as evidenced by similar Statehouse legislation, which led to many Ohio public service organizations halting their progress toward equitable policies.

More:Editorial: For racism to end, all Americans need to recognize it

As a community, we cannot let the fear of anti-diversity backlash and smear campaigns prevent us from progress.This is why YWCA Columbus trains organizations across the Central Ohio region in racial justice concepts, focusing on liberation and justice for all – because we know that education is powerful and the first step toward policy change.

This same thought process applies to K-12 education.

YWCA Columbus remains committed to supporting our partners on the ground – in schools and in policy advocacy.

We need our partners to educate children about the true history of this nation. We haveto discuss hard, emotional issues, and make space for everyone’s identities to rectify past violence – and prevent future harm. We must disavow any attempts to tell Ohio that it needs to be part of the dominant white supremacy culture that out-of-state interest groups are desperate to spread.

If we do not, we risk losing our most precious assets when it comes to building the future we want to see: Ohio’s children.

A better educated, more emotionally aware and intelligent Ohio population will aid in building a future where we truly can eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all.

Lalitha Pamidigantam is the advocacy manager at YWCA Columbus.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Opinion: Ohio schools key to spread of hate, white supremacy culture