Teachers Saving Children® Inc. of Ohio
	Press Release December 2, 1995	Home TSC Ohio Press Releases

December 2, 1995, Columbus, Ohio.  Delegates, from both sides of the abortion issue, spearheaded a petition drive to bring before the Ohio Education Association (OEA) delegate body a Constitution & Bylaw Amendment proposal which stated "The OEA Secretary-Treasurer will be responsible to ensure that no OEA general fund and/or dues moneys will be used to support or lobby on behalf of any position regarding the abortion issue." These delegates all shared at least one belief in common: the professional organization to which they all pay dues has no justifiable reason to take stands on personal controversial issues that are non-educational.

For the first time delegates allowed about 30 minutes of fair and open discussion and debate from all individuals wanting to speak for or against the proposal. Opponents of the proposal were concerned that if it passed, OEA could not serve its members regarding civil rights and the private rights of individual members. OEA moneys historically to date have not been spent on this issue, but this could change at any moment since OEA has a resolution (I-3) concerning abortion.

One delegate supporting the proposal stated that as OEA members we need to keep our private lives separate from our professional lives. Bancroft notes that "what OEA decides through its resolutions and policy does not determine whether or not an individual has rights, since rights are already granted and protected under the US Constitution. Those individuals who have a personal need to pursue their pro-choice agenda should do it within another forum, not within OEA."

Although by secret ballot the proposal failed 231-972, there is a sense from the debate that more delegates are concerned about the pro-abortion position and want to search for ways to deal with the issue and truly represent the membership. Bancroft notes that "delegates who are concerned about the pro-abortion position of the OEA will continue to persevere until the OEA adopts the one position that will truly be neutral, a position of silence."

Teachers Saving Children^® is an Ohio organization of pro-life teachers and other concerned citizens committed to establishing among professional educators' organizations a respect for all human life from conception to natural death.

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