DEAR EDITOR:

Gov. Mike DeWine signing Senate Bill 1 into law didn’t just hurt higher education in Ohio — it put a giant asterisk next to every degree that comes out of this state. Going forward, diplomas from Ohio’s public universities might as well come with a disclaimer: “Censored by the government.” When professors are forced to tiptoe around anything that could be deemed “controversial” from climate change to vaccines to even the concept of marriage, can anyone trust that students are being fully educated?

SB 1 isn’t about improving education. It’s a blatant power grab designed to silence voices, crush labor rights, and turn Ohio’s universities into political puppets. Professors will be terrified to challenge students or introduce complex ideas because one wrong word could lead to disciplinary action or even termination. Tenure, the cornerstone of academic freedom, is now a joke. And the worst part? Young people are the ones who will pay the price.

This law leaves young people behind. It strips away the possibility of a real education by replacing knowledge with fear and censorship. How can I or any other recent Ohio college graduate compete when our degrees carry the weight of political interference? Imagine walking into a job interview or applying to grad school with an Ohio degree that comes with an unspoken question: “Was this person taught the truth, or just what politicians allowed them to hear?” Ohio degrees are about to lose their credibility on the national and global stage, and that’s a tragedy we can’t afford.

SB 1 is a betrayal of Ohio’s students, faculty, and future. This state deserves better. We deserve truth, not censorship.

TOMMY SUMMERS

Vice President, Trumbull County Young Democrats

Warren