Little Miami Board approves statement clarifying February poster decision, directs district to post it online

The Little Miami Board of Education on March 3 approved a statement clarifying its Feb. 25 decision about a classroom poster and directed the superintendent to distribute the approved statement by email to district families and staff, post it on the district Facebook page and display it prominently on the district website.

The statement, read aloud at the special meeting, said the board’s earlier determination “was not based on the phrase ‘hate has no home here’” and described the action as procedural, aimed at ensuring compliance with board policy 5780.01 and Ohio law. The statement said policy 5780.01 does not ban any flag, image, viewpoint or symbol but sets procedures to ensure transparency and parent rights when classroom materials “go beyond incidental references and engage students” on sexual or gender-related topics.

Debate during the meeting focused on whether the written statement accurately reflected the motion the board passed on Feb. 25. One attendee asserted the motion at that prior meeting had been a simple yes-or-no vote and said the newly drafted statement did not match that motion; other board members disputed that characterization. At least one participant accused Mr. Wallace of repeatedly publishing images and interviews critical of the district; that accusation was raised during heated exchanges and interruptions as members argued about procedure and decorum.

Several board members also discussed the parts of the poster they said were problematic. One member suggested removing portions “that have to do with gender and sexuality” while leaving other elements in place. Another member noted that under the state’s parental-notification provisions referenced during the meeting (referred to in the discussion as House Bill 8), parental notification and opt-out procedures would be required if materials met the statutory threshold, and said those steps had not been completed in the prior instance.

A roll-call vote on the motion to distribute/post the statement recorded the following: Mrs. Horvath — Yes; Mr. Sbert — No; Mrs. Bullock — Yes; Mr. Wallace — Yes; Mr. Smith — Yes. The motion passed 4–1.

The board presented the statement as a procedural action to align the district’s prior handling of classroom materials with board policy and Ohio law. The district said it will make the statement available to families and staff through its stated channels.