Some Ohioans say proposed ban of phones in schools violates parents' rights

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Gov. Mike DeWine called for a full cellphone ban in schools last week, but some parents say the move defies his record of supporting parents' decision-making in their children's education.

“That’s something I really like about Ohio, and our governor has been very supportive about our rights to choose our child's education, so I'm really surprised that the governor would not be supporting us in this case," parent Berit Mann said. "If I'm honest, it's a little hypocritical of the governor to not be supportive of individual freedom for parents in this situation."

Mann has two children, and her oldest son is a first grader in Dublin City Schools. Dublin Superintendent John Marschhausen has been the face of DeWine's phone ban, with DeWine signing a bill requiring all districts to implement a cellphone policy at a Dublin school. Now, DeWine is supporting legislation calling for a full ban to minimize distractions and protect student wellbeing.

State Sen. Jane Timken (R-Stark County) sponsored Senate Bill 158, which would ban cellphones and other personal electronic devices in schools during the school day. Exceptions could be made for students who need a personal device for specific learning or medical reasons. Marshhausen joined Timken and DeWine at their news conference and spoke in favor of the bill.

“As we went through this process in Dublin City Schools, we had near unanimous support from parents for banning cellphones from our schools," Marshhausen said. "We are home to more than 90,000 residents and I’ve received one complaint.”

However, more than one Dublin parent told NBC4 they did not support the state's ban. Dublin's policy only allows students to use personal devices with teacher permission, but parents said they are still able to communicate with their students when they equip them with devices.

Mann sends her first grader to his Dublin school with an Apple watch so he can communicate with his parents, something she's done since preschool. Mann works in technology and said it was important for her to ensure her kids have a responsible relationship with tech. Without it, she said she would worry about his safety.

“A lot of crazy things happen in this world. Adults can't always be trusted just because of their job title, and kids should have the freedom to double check, because we all know the world is not always a perfectly trustworthy place, unfortunately," Mann said. "So I genuinely find it creepy that the government on a state level, is trying to micromanage a parent's right to access their children."

Mann is not alone in fearing for students' safety without phone access. However, National School Safety and Security Services said phones can negatively affect school safety. The organization said phones can distract students from emergency response directions. Students calling and texting their parents in an emergency can also accelerate citizens arriving at the scene, which can place them in dangerous situations or impede emergency responses. 

DeWine said phones contribute to bullying and worsen mental health, raising safety concerns when students have phone access. DeWine said removing phones during the entire school day, including lunch and free periods, benefits students. He said students interact more without phones, lunch rooms get louder and kids become better at socialization.

A 2024 Pew Research study found that 68% of Americans support a ban on phones in class, but 53% oppose bans for the entire school day. After DeWine signed the bill requiring phone policies in schools, many central Ohio schools have joined Dublin in implementing phone bans during class time.

Marschhuasen went a step further and said what they do in school isn’t enough. He said Dublin schools are working with parents to minimize technology use at home and during the summer months, too.

Mann said she has nothing but love and respect for her son's teachers and school staff and would respect if they enacted a phone ban. However, she feels a complete ban -- especially at the state level -- infringes on her rights as a parent.

“I don't know the superintendent. I know my son's principal, and I know my son's teacher, and I know myself, and I know my husband, and those are the people who know my son. So those are the people whose perspectives I'm interested in involving,” Mann said.

School Choice Ohio, a group that works to further parents' rights to have a choice in their children's education options, did not feel the ban hurts parents' rights.

“School Choice Ohio supports all policies that empower parents in finding the best educational environment for their children.  We support Governor DeWine’s continued pursuit of high quality options and educational policies,” School Choice Ohio Director of Media and Communications Beth Lawson said.

Mann said if the government can dictate whether students can access their parents, she worries other school choice options like state-sponsored school vouchers or homeschooling could also be removed.

"If ending any of those things is considered a giant government overstep, then I can absolutely decide if my child can wear an Apple Watch to school," Mann said. "This is hypocrisy, and I think this is really disappointing for a lot of the people who had positive feelings towards Governor DeWine. It feels like a betrayal and it feels like hypocrisy.”

Senate Bill 158 had its first hearing on April 8 and is set to continue in Education Committee hearings.