Leader Russo Applauds Temporary Restraining Order in Fight Against Unconstitutional School Board Takeover

COLUMBUS - House Minority Leader Allison Russo (D-Upper Arlington) today was pleased to learn of Franklin County Judge Karen Held Phipps’s ruling to place a 14-day temporary restraining order on the Republican-sanctioned K-12 education overhaul which violates the Ohio Constitution. 

“Creating a new cabinet-level agency is not a silver bullet and does not magically solve problems. This is nothing but another attempted power grab by Republicans,” said Leader Russo. “Board members are elected on a non-partisan basis and because of that, expertise and experience in education is a big factor of who gets elected. With a governor appointee, there’s little doubt we’ll see an increase in partisan decision-making. The judge was right today to place a temporary restraining order on this takeover, and I trust it will be voided all together in the near future.” 

A lawsuit filed against the state and Republican Governor Mike DeWine argues that the overhaul guts the mostly citizen-elected, independent, and constitutionally created state board of its responsibilities and gives unnecessary power to the governor. 

The plaintiffs represented by Democracy Forward Foundation and Ulmer & Berne LLP. are Christina Collins; Teresa Fedor; Katie Hofmann; Tom Jackson; Meryl Johnson; Antoinette Miranda, and Michelle Newman.

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