The Tippecanoe Gazette recently reached out to Ohio Senator Steve Huffman regarding HB183/SB104. We asked him to clarify if the Tipp City citizens’ questions/comments expressed in the Superintendent’s Community Engagement and School Board Meetings regarding the restrooms in the new PK-8 building were valid.

The following is his response:

“Many citizens of Tipp City concerned about the proposed bathroom design at the K-8 building for the Tipp City School district have contacted me. I supported and voted for HB 183 requiring students to use the bathroom that matches their gender assigned at birth. HB 183 was rolled into SB 104 which was signed by Governor DeWine on November 27, 2024. The bill takes effect 90 days later, February 25, 2025.

The law mandates that schools designate each multi-occupancy facility for the exclusive use of either male or female students based on their biological sex. Specifically:

• Exclusive use: Schools must designate and have proper signage identifying restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, and shower rooms for exclusive use by students of the male biological sex or female biological sex.

• Prohibition on cross-sex use: Schools are prohibited from allowing students of one biological sex to use facilities designated for the opposite biological sex.

Since each stall is floor to ceiling and has an individual lock on it, Tipp City Schools and its architect consider this design an individual bathroom. My understanding is that each stall would have to be marked as male or female and used exclusively by that sex. I spoke at length with Representative Bird, the sponsor of HB 183. He told me with certainty that this design does not follow the intent of the law. I plan to collaborate with Representative Bird to close this loophole. HB 183 is a simple concept that bathrooms are for exclusive use by students of the male biological sex or female biological sex. The Tipp City community appears to agree with this concept, and I am working to assure that our laws are clear so that all bathrooms, in Tipp City Schools and around the state follow this concept.

Ohio State Senator Steve Huffman”