While Ohio House Bill (HB) 531During a second hearing before members of the House Education Committee on Wednesday, several local chaplains testified in support of a bill that would allow untrained, unlicensed and uncertified chaplains to serve in Ohio public schools.
Under the bill, chaplains will still be required to register with the Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) and submit criminal history information. However, chaplains will not be required to have any license or certification from the State Board of Education.
The bill – sponsored by conservative Christian and longtime Southern Baptist pastor Jonathan Newman (R-Troy) – would also require public school districts in Ohio to hold a public debate and vote on the policy before the start of the 2026 school year.
If passed, the bill would require a student’s parent or legal guardian to consent to an interview with volunteer chaplains.
While similar legislation has gained public support from far-right, anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers, the nation’s largest chaplaincy regulator does not support it – citing concerns about “the appropriate education, training and experience that board-certified professional chaplains possess.”
Texas, Florida and Louisiana have also passed similar bills that experts say could put LGBTQ+ students at risk.
Christian influence on the show
Eric Tober – who identified himself as the “Pastor of the Dublin Community” and chaplain to the Dublin Police Service – gave extensive public testimony in support of the bill.
The Illinois native studied at Trinity Evangelical Divinity Schoolwhich closed in 2023, and Bob Jones Bible University, which was not accredited until 2017.
Since 2019, Tober has been the lead pastor at The Ark Church in Dublin, part of St. Peter’s Church Evangelical Free Church in America (EFCA).
“Many students are struggling with issues that are overwhelming for all of us,” Tober told members of the Ohio House Education Committee. “The need for a healthy relationship with a substitute mother or father – this is the most important thing.”
“I believe that adding a mature volunteer chaplain would give many students a needed father or mother role that is often missing,” he added.
Tober – who described himself as “more of a mental health representative” in his role as chaplain – does not have any mental health credentials or certification from any state licensing board in Ohio.
In 2020, Tober wrote an essay published by the Center for Christian Virtue (CCV), a Columbus-based, anti-LGBTQ+ hate group and the primary cause behind the state’s current health care ban for transgender youth.
In 2021, Tober was on the list of Pastor Ambassadors for an anti-LGBTQ+ hate group.
Tober’s church has a history of supporting anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-LGBTQ+ policies and legislation.
In a 2016 post titled “Thinking Biblically About Transgenderism and the Pastoral Care of LGBT People and Their Families,” EFCA Executive Director and Director of Theology and Accreditation Greg Strand called gender dysphoria “a mental disorder and dysfunction (and perhaps a deeper spiritual disorder).”
Tober too gave public testimony with Republican Newman in 2020 against the Ohio Fairness Act which would provide LGBTQ+ Ohioans with full legal protections under Ohio law.
Additionally, conservative Christian Rep. Rodney Creech (R-West Alexandra) – who was removed from committee tasks last year and were told to resign after a family member accused him of getting into bed with a child while he was partially clothed and erect – he is listed as a co-author of the project. Creech publicly denied the allegations.
“Surrogate Mothers and Fathers”
“The need for foster mothers and fathers is critical,” Tober repeatedly told committee members when asked to describe the role of a volunteer school chaplain.
“I imagine, as I read this, that you could take retired pastors from all over the state of Ohio who sometimes feel like [they] are no longer valuable. Put them in a role where they volunteer and where they can build on their experience in the future, maybe even a grandfather or grandmother role – and provide them with relationship support, which is often just a smile, that can be an encouraging word,” Tober said.
“I would put ten chaplains at the school, but we still don’t succeed because there is such a great need,” Tober added. “I think it would be a great, great blessing – a great good – for everyone involved.”
Other Ohioans were more explicit in praising that the bill would allow for a fuller embrace of Christianity in public schools.
Mindy Penn, a mother of two, told committee members she is concerned that her children are not learning coping skills rooted in Christian teachings in the public school they attend.
“The techniques currently offered focus primarily on the child regulating or repairing their own emotions,” Penn said, describing the drawing and painting exercises her children learned in school. “When they are stressed, they are encouraged to do breathing exercises.”
“While I understand the intent of these actions, they are not rooted in any religious principles,” Penn said. “They do not direct the child towards a higher power.”
James Kerr, a military veteran and volunteer chaplain with the Pierce Township Police Department in Clermont County, also testified in support of the bill.
“School psychologists and counselors are not prepared to talk about students’ spiritual concerns when tragedy strikes,” Kerr said. “We’ll let someone else teach math if you give us a chance to speak to your soul.”
The Chaplains Association opposes this bill
In Written declaration 2024, Association of Professional Chaplains (APC) and Board of Ministry Certification, Inc. (BCCI) directly opposed similar legislation aimed at placing volunteer chaplains in public schools.
“[APC is] “concerned that the proposed regulations do not require a ‘chaplain’ to have appropriate professional qualifications to serve in sensitive environments such as the public school system,” APC said.
“Most states typically require those working in education, especially public elementary schools, to have a comprehensive education, experience working under supervision, and state-issued licensure in order to serve in these institutions,” the statement said. “Chaplains serving in schools, especially public schools, where they deal with vulnerable children of various faiths and backgrounds, should be scrutinized for requirements similar to those of teachers, social workers and school counselors.”
“In our judgment, a short online training course is insufficient to meet the requirements to serve as a professional chaplain,” APC concluded, noting the association’s strict, practical and ethical standards for membership and certification status.
Typically, BCCI-certified chaplains have already earned master’s degrees in theology, philosophy or psychology and have completed 2,000 hours of supervised “clinical pastoral education.”
The Ohio bill would not require all chaplains to complete equivalent training or certification.
Some chaplains are certified by their own denomination, which usually includes a background check.
However, the Catholic Church in particular has a centuries-long, documented history of protecting priests and other clergy who systematically commit rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse, which journalists estimate has involved thousands of children since the 1950s.
When Texas passed similar legislation in 2024 allowing chaplains to serve in public schools, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) opposed it, saying it was violates the right of students and families to religious freedom.
“Allowing public schools to create paid or volunteer positions for chaplains will inevitably lead to evangelism and religious coercion of students,” said Heather L. Weaver, senior staff attorney for the ACLU. “And because chaplains are typically not trained or certified to provide educational or counseling services to youth, students are likely to receive inadequate mental health support, which in some cases may be harmful.”
Ignite the action
- To find the contact information for your Ohio State Representative, click here.
- To find contact information for an Ohio State Senator, click here.
- If you are a adolescent LGBTQ+ person in crisis, please contact Trevor’s project: 866-4-U-Trevor.
- If you are a transgender adult in need of immediate aid, please contact National Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860
