We, the undersigned, call on members of the Ohio General Assembly to reject Ohio House Bill 698 and to end the legislature’s continued attacks on Ohio’s colleges and universities.

Ohio HB 698 purports to enforce SB 1 by adding unfunded reporting mandates that will waste time and money at institutions already in compliance. It requires universities to publish "justification reports" naming, detailing the responsibilities of, and disclosing the salaries of employees ever assigned to work on diversity initiatives — singling out individuals, many from historically underrepresented communities, in ways that undermine constitutional principles of fairness and equality. The bill also designates "enrollment stagnation" as grounds for retrenchment, meaning stable enrollment alone could now justify laying off faculty. It’s not clear how any of this serves Ohio students.

When legislators target higher education — by cutting funding, restricting academic freedom, undermining shared governance, weakening collective bargaining protections, and politicizing what can be taught — it raises a troubling question about motive. After passing SB 1—the Destroy Higher Education Act, the introduction of HB 698 shows a pattern that is difficult to ignore.

Ohio’s legislators are making it clear they want to operate with less scrutiny, accountability, and have fewer informed citizens engaged in the democratic process. Weakening education makes it harder for citizens to hold those in power accountable. An informed public asks hard questions, challenges authority, and builds pathways to economic opportunity. Undermining higher education undercuts all of that.

When lawmakers in Ohio play political games with colleges and universities, it is not politicians who bear the consequences. It is students, workers, and communities across Ohio who pay the price. Attacking public education isn’t just bad policy. It’s an attack on the very constituents these lawmakers were elected to serve.

We believe:
• Public higher education should be free from political retaliation.
• Academic freedom, tenure, and shared governance must be upheld.
• Employees should not be singled out for scrutiny based on prior roles or demographic background.
• Students deserve education guided by disciplinary expertise and evidence, not by political pressure.

Ohio’s future depends on strong, independent, and inclusive public colleges and universities. Public institutions of higher education should not be used to advance political agendas or to target individuals based on the nature of their work or identity. It’s time for the Ohio legislature to invest in opportunity — not undermine it by trying to destroy higher education in Ohio. We call on Ohio’s legislators to immediately reject HB 698.