In 2022, a coalition of school districts, parents, children filed a lawsuit against the State of Ohio challenging the constitutionality of the State’s EdChoice voucher program. Eventually, more than 300 school districts joined the lawsuit, and in June 2025, Judge Jaiza Page entered judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, deciding that the EdChoice program is unconstitutional and should be enjoined. Following Judge Page’s decision, Representative Jamie Callender introduced House Bill 671, which would allow Ohio’s Department of Education and Workforce to withhold state funding from any public school district that is a complainant in the Vouchers Hurt Ohio lawsuit.
Ohio Federal Court Extends “Controversial Issues” Policy to Classroom Libraries
A federal court in Southern Ohio has ruled that school districts have some leeway to regulate teachers’ classroom libraries under board policies on teaching “controversial issues.” In Cahall v. New Richmond Exempted Village School District, the district suspended a teacher for three days for putting certain books in her classroom library for students to access, without administrative approval. The court did not hold that the controversial issues policy would allow for discipline of a teacher in all cases involving classroom libraries. But the Cahall case does open the door to discipline for teachers who knowingly put controversial books in their classroom libraries without administrative approval.
Is this the End of Amateur Athletics in Ohio?
There are big changes coming to high school sports in Ohio as the Ohio High School Athletic Association (“OHSAA”) considers changes to its name, image and likeness (“NIL”) rules. As it currently stands, Ohio is one of six (6) states that has rules that prohibit high school athletes from making money off their NIL. But in a decision in late October, a court in Columbus issued a 45-day temporary restraining order prohibiting the OHSAA from enforcing its regulations against high school athletes profiting from their NIL.