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TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – Washington Local Schools is refusing to teach students a state standard that says, “conceiving children out of wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society.”

“This particular statement actually wanted us to teach that those being in a certain family structure would be a detriment to society. Absolutely not,” Superintendent Kadee Anstadt said. “I will never ever tell a student that where they come from determines their outcome. Not ever.”

The law went into effect in September 2021.

Health Teacher and Department Chair at Whitmer High School Tina Dake was the first to raise the alarm.

“It was jaw-dropping,” Dake said. “I felt it was a very judgmental statement.”

Almost half, 42.6%, of children born in Ohio in 2021 were born to unmarried parents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Students should never be portrayed in that way. “We are in the business, as educators, to lift our students up and help them be successful no matter what,” Dake said.

The refusal to include the teaching means the district is non-compliant with state education standards. The district faces no penalties for its non-compliance and Anstadt says she prides herself on the quality of her district’s health education.

“Our health curriculum, as I said… I would put it up against anyone’s,” Anstadt said. “Our health teachers are very good at really having meaningful conversations with kids with about the consequences of their decisions are, what the positives are and what the negatives are.”

13 Action News reached out to the Ohio Department of Workforce Development and Education to get their side of the story, but they did not respond to our request for comment.

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