Ohio

Ohio’s School Cell Phone Policies Taking Hold

Published

1 year ago

December 9, 2024

Press Room

Ohio’s School Cell Phone Policies Taking Hold

Cell phones have a limited future in Ohio classrooms.

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Last week, the U.S. Department of Education called on states, districts, and schools to adopt policies around the student use of call phones in school. Ohio is one state that is already well on its way.

The department’s call is one more sign of the growing consensus that smart devices and screens need to be brought under control in the nation’s schools.

Pressure to ban the devices has been building in education circles for years; most teachers can tell a story of a student checked out and unable to separate from their device. Works like Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation have fed the idea that internet connection is at least partly responsible for a growing mental health problem among children.

While students often push back against phone bans, parents can be the real challenge for a school district. For some parents, the power to stay in touch throughout the entire day can be irresistible. For families that are stretching resources (two jobs, three kids, one car), cellphones can be invaluable. And in an age with heightened fear of school shootings and other emergency situations, many parents to do not trust the schools to provide the kind of quick crisis communication that they need.

Several states have some sort of law requiring schools to deal with cell phones in school. Florida, Louisiana, California and South Carolina have outright bans for cell phones. Virginia has an executive order calling for officials to solicit public opinion as a basis for crafting policy. Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio have passed laws requiring schools to develop some sort of policy about student cell phones.

Ohio’s law requires schools to adopt a policy governing cell phone use by July of 2025. The law calls for districts to reduce cell phone-related distractions and limit use as much as possible, while still allowing devices to be used for learning or in connection with student health concerns. However, the Ohio Department of Education, “under the leadership of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted,” encourages districts and schools to adopt a policy to eliminate cell phone use during the school day.

The department conducted a survey of school districts within the state to see how they were progressing in compliance with the law. The results show the degree to which Ohio schools are on the same page when it comes to cell phone policy.

98% of possible respondents replied to the survey— 992 in all (traditional districts, community schools, independent STEM schools, and joint vocational schools).

61% of those districts have adopted formal policies. 31% are drafting a new policy or revising the old one. 5% are ready for adoption. Only 3% have not yet started working on a policy.

Two thirds of respondents implemented their policy last fall with the new school year. 17% will be implementing later this year, and 17% will be launching their policy next fall.

Schools were evenly split between two approaches to reining in cell phones- either banning them during the entire school day or limiting their use to certain windows. In some districts, policy varies by grade.

Policies to limit the appearance of cell phones in the classroom ultimately come down to one factor—whether or not building administration backs up the rules and the teachers who have to enforce them. But in a state that is often a stage for debates over many education policy issues, it’s notable that Ohio schools and leaders seem largely in agreement about responding to cell phones in schools.

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Ohio

After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

Published

12 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

After her son died in car wreck, Ohio mom fought for public records

A mom searching for answers about her son’s death in a car wreck won a victory on Dec. 19 when the Ohio Supreme Court ordered the Richland County Sheriff to release records to her.

The court ruled in a unanimous decision that Andrea Mauk is entitled to three sets of records withheld by the sheriff, with only Social Security numbers being redacted. Mauk will be awarded $2,000 in damages but will not receive attorney fees.

On June 23, 2023, 18-year-old Damon Mauk lost control of his 1998 Ford Mustang and slammed it into a tree. His mother wanted to piece together what happened, collect his belongings and grieve the loss of her child. She didn’t think she’d have to fight for public records and take her case to the Ohio Supreme Court.

Following the crash, Richland County Sheriff’s deputies, a township fire department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded.

During the investigation, a trooper told a deputy to leave Damon’s iPhone and wallet in the car, according to Mauk’s court filings. Instead, the deputy took the belongings to the hospital and handed them off to someone who said he was Damon’s dad.

Mauk didn’t understand. Damon’s father was largely absent from his life. How could he have been there to pick up the wallet and phone?

A few weeks after the fatal crash, Mauk asked for records, including: the sheriff’s report and inventory of items taken from the car, body camera footage from deputies who gave away the belongings, the report, photos and videos created by the patrol and more.

Mauk, of the Mansfield area, received some but not all of the requested records. Mauk hired attorney Brian Bardwell to pursue records she believes exist but weren’t provided or were improperly redacted.

The sheriff’s office claimed that some of the requested records were exempt from disclosure because they are confidential law enforcement records or personal notes. The court privately reviewed the records withheld from Mauk and determined that they should be released.

The decision in favor of releasing records runs contrary to recent rulings from the high court.

In 2024, the court held that the cost of sending troopers to protect Gov. Mike DeWine at a Super Bowl game weren’t subject to disclosure and that the Ohio Department of Health should redact from a database the names and addresses of Ohioans who had died, even though that death certificate information can be released on an individual case basis.

In 2025 the court ruled that police officers’ names may be kept confidential if they’re attacked on the job, giving them privacy rights afforded to crime victims.

State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at lbischoff@usatodayco.com and @lbischoff on X.

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Ohio

No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

Published

24 hours ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

No. 21 Ohio State women beat Norfolk State 79-45

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Kylee Kitts scored 13 points, Jaloni Cambridge added 11 and No. 21 Ohio State rolled past Norfolk State 79-45 on Thursday night for its eighth straight win.

Dasha Biriuk added 10 points for Ohio State, which is 10-1 overall and 7-0 at home.

Kitts was 6 of 12 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds to go with two steals and two blocks. Cambridge was 4-of-8 shooting and had eight rebounds and two steals.

Cambridge scored seven points in the first quarter as the Buckeyes jumped out to a 20-10 lead and built a 43-21 halftime advantage. Kitts and Cambridge each scored nine first-half points.

Ohio State outrebounded Norfolk State 55-32 and scored 21 points off 17 turnovers.

Jasha Clinton scored 18 points to lead Norfolk State (5-9). Ciara Bailey had 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Up next

Norfolk State plays at Elon on Sunday.

Ohio State hosts Western Michigan on Mondahy.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

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Ohio

Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, $4.25 million in rebate settlement

Published

1 day ago

December 18, 2025

Press Room

Menards to pay 10 states, including Ohio, .25 million in rebate settlement

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Ohio is part of a multistate lawsuit settlement against home improvement store Menards.

According to the state Attorney General’s Office, Ohio and nine other states reached the settlement with Menards, a Wisconsin-based home-improvement retail store, over allegations of deceptive rebate advertising.

The 10-state led investigation revealed that Menards would give shoppers the impression that they were getting an immediate discount while shopping through its advertising, when in fact, savings actually came in the form of a rebate or in-store credit.

The investigation raised concerns with Menards’ marketing strategy and sales practices, alleging the following of the company:

Advertised 11% off or 11% off everything that suggested an instant price cut, even though customers received only a rebate on future purchases.
Listed prices already at an 11% discount, reinforcing the idea that shoppers were getting an in-store discount.
Failed to clearly explain the important limits of the rebate program, burying key details in the fine print.
Tell customers that Rebates International was a separate company handling rebates, even though it is operated by Menards itself.

The settlement, announced Thursday, included an agreement by Menards that it would, in part, discontinue ads suggesting immediate discounts, clearly explaining the rules, limits, and conditions of its rebate program, and offer customers an easier path towards claiming rebates, both in person and online, among other changes.

In addition, Menards will pay participating states $4.25 million in fees, of which $365,173.05 will go toward the Ohio Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Enforcement Fund.

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