Ohio State Senator Niraj Antani (R-Miamisburg) announced on December 26, 2024, a new law granting Hindu students in Ohio the right to take three religious holidays per school year, including Diwali and two others of their choice. Under this legislation, schools must accommodate these holidays without penalizing students academically.

“Sen. Antani co-sponsored HB 214, which has been passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor. It will be in effect for next school year starting in 2025. The bill requires all K-12 schools in Ohio to give school off for students for 3 religious holidays a year,” noted Senator Antani in a statement.

Key provisions include:

• No penalties for taking religious holidays off.
• Reasonable alternatives for missed exams.
• Participation in sports and extracurricular activities allowed on these days.
• Religious holidays will not be marked as absences.

“Because of this law that I co-sponsored, every Hindu student in Ohio will be able to take school off as a holiday for Diwali beginning in 2025 and then for the rest of history. This is an incredible victory for Hindus in Ohio,” he added. “This makes us the 1^st state in American history to give every student Diwali school off as a holiday. As well, our law surpasses any other school district in the nation so far as it also allows 2 other religious holidays to be taken.”

According to the statement, this law ensures flexibility for Hindu students across diverse cultural traditions. For instance, Gujarati students can take off to observe Navaratri or Annakut, Tamil students can celebrate Pongal, and Bengali students can take time for Durga Puja. Devotees of specific traditions, such as ISKCON or BAPS, can observe their key celebrations like Krishna Janmashtami or Pramukh Swami Maharaj Jayanti.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Antani noted that as a child, he often missed community events like Navaratri’s dandiya nights due to school obligations. “I remember as a kid that for Navarati on weeknights not being able to stay for dandiya at the end of the night. This will no longer be a problem for any Hindu kid in Ohio henceforth,” noted Senator Antani. 

“The bill does require a parent to send the principal of the school a signed letter informing them of the religious holidays the student will be taking off,” noted the statement adding “The signed letter must be sent to the principal within 14 days of the 1^st day of the school year. The principal must approve the days off.” 

Managing Director of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), Samir Kalra, Esq., said, “Ohio is setting an example for the rest of the country on how schools can ensure all students can practice their faiths fully without the fear of negative academic consequences,” expressing HAF’s appreciation to Senator Antani and the interfaith community of Ohio for their leadership on this landmark initiative.

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