Parental Rights in Ohio

Ohio Parental Rights News

Winning Defense: Stopping Bad Bills across the Nation

By Sheila Roberts • April 27, 2022
We talk a lot about good bills that we’re working on across the nation: legislation like our Parents’ Bill of Rights and fundamental parental rights bills that will strengthen the right of parents to raise, educate, and care for their children. But thanks to your support of ParentalRights.org, we also work aggressively to stop bad… The post Winning Defense: Stopping Bad Bills across the Nation appeared first on Parental Rights.

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Ohio State Law

At Risk


Ohio does not have a state statute that explicitly defines and protects parental rights as fundamental rights.

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Ohio Courts

"Strict Scrutiny" Applied to Parental Rights


Ohio courts have recognized the right of parents to oversee the care of their children as a fundamental right deserving of the strict scrutiny standard. However, this precedent is subject to change.


In Oliver v. Feldner, 776 N.E. 2d 499, 507 (Ohio Ct. App. 2002), the Ohio Court of Appeals held, "[i]t is difficult to escape the conclusion, with eight of nine Supreme Court justices agreeing that a fundamental due process right was at stake in Troxel, that a strict-scrutiny analysis must be taken in reviewing nonparental-visitation statutes."


See also In re Thompkins, 875 N.E. 2d 582, 584-5 (Ohio 2007) and Harrold v. Collier, 836 N.E. 2d 1165, 1172 (Ohio 2005), cert denied 547 U.S. 1004 (2006).