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The Ohio Senate is considering a bill that would censor Ohio colleges and universities. The so-called "Academic Bill of Rights" is truly a misnomer, as it is really an "academic bill of restrictions." The ACLU of Ohio opposes passage of this bill because it could be used to curtail academic freedom and to encourage thought policing in our institutes of higher education. The bill would have a chilling effect on freedom of inquiry on Ohio’s campuses. For example: ·The bill forces the board of trustees, of both public and private schools, to adopt policies about what can and cannot be taught. ·Under the bill, faculty would be discouraged from teaching anything "controversial" - a vaguely defined term that could pertain to any number of topics including evolution, history, or religion. ·If they do raise controversial issues, teachers would have to present alternative views regardless of the merits of those views or their own beliefs about them. ·Senate Bill 24 would shift the responsibility for course content and student evaluation from highly trained faculty to the state government or the courts. [more]