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Religious Requirement For State Mentoring Program Questioned

State schools superintendent Richard Ross added a religious element to a state-supported mentoring program in schools. Governor John Kasich has called on businesses and faith-based organizations to take part. Ross and an advisory board have created a requirement that the sponsoring organization include a "faith-based" partner.  Ohio Department of Education spokesperson John Charlton says the program will give a student  a chance to see how a business leader is successful.

But Chris Link of the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio says she's gotten more calls and e-mails complaining about the program than on anything in government in recent years, and that's why the ACLU is checking into it.

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Link says the governor's apparent preference is a problem.

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ODE's Charlton says Kasich and Ross feel including a faith-based group makes the mentoring partnership "more robust."  Charlton says the department is now soliciting grant applications from organizations. Mark Urycki of member station WCPN in Cleveland reports.

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When Governor Kasich proposed the Community Connectors mentorships at his State of the State address in February he mentioned faith –based organizations but he didn’t make it a prerequisite  
 
KASICH All of us in Ohio, we’re hungry to help.  We know what’s missing out there; we just don’t always know how to do it.  And the Community Connectors is going to give us a chance to listen to the better angel inside all of us to figure out how to make a difference in someone’s life. :16  
 
The state will use $10 million dollars a year from state lottery money for mentorships. The state will award the grants in March.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.