What started as a neighborhood flag fight in a Columbus suburb is now on its way to becoming Ohio law.
On Wednesday the Ohio Senate passed a bill that would stop homeowners associations, condominium boards, manufactured-home park operators and private landlords from forbidding residents to fly the thin blue line flag on their property. Sponsors describe it as a shield for tributes to fallen officers that might otherwise get yanked down under deed restrictions after the high-profile clash outside Columbus.
The measure is named for Chief Steven Eric DiSario, the Kirkersville police chief killed in the line of duty, and backers say it is aimed at letting families keep memorial displays in places where neighborhood rules might currently require removal.
The Senate approved the measure on Wednesday, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Senate Bill 202 would add the thin blue line flag to the short list of flags that state law already protects from association or landlord bans, per the bill text on the Ohio Legislature website.
How the dispute started
The legislative push traces back to Pataskala, where homeowner Thomas DiSario received a deed-restriction notice ordering him to take down the thin blue line flag he had raised in memory of his son, Steven Eric DiSario, who was fatally shot while serving as Kirkersville police chief in 2017. That confrontation, first detailed by the Washington Post, sparked legal threats, drew in influential groups and has been repeatedly cited by sponsors as the reason the legislature stepped in.
What critics say
Civil-liberties advocates are not exactly cheering the bill on. They argue that by singling out one symbol for special protection, the state risks picking winners and losers in the free-speech arena.
"When Government puts its finger on the speech scale, as it does with HB 75, it creates First Amendment problems," the ACLU of Ohio wrote in opponent testimony, urging lawmakers to adopt a content-neutral approach if they want to safeguard displays on private property.
Supporters and statehouse history
Supporters at the Statehouse counter that the bill is about protecting memorials, not punishing opposing viewpoints. Similar proposals have surfaced in recent sessions, and the Ohio House previously advanced a related measure to add the thin blue line flag to the list of protected flags, according to a 2023 Ohio House news release.
Backers in committee testimony have repeatedly pointed to the DiSario case as their prime exhibit for why statutory protection is needed.
Legal outlook
The neighborhood feud has already spilled into court. Filings show the National Police Association sued the homeowners association involved in the DiSario dispute, and that Thomas DiSario pursued federal claims tied to the fight, according to a National Police Association document.
The ACLU and others warn that because the statute singles out pro-police symbolism, it could invite fresh legal challenges over viewpoint discrimination, even if the rules at issue are enforced by private associations rather than the government.
What’s next
With the Senate vote in the bag, the bill still has to complete its trip through the legislature and could reach the governor’s desk if both chambers sign off on the same language. The Ohio Legislature site tracks the full bill text and current status.
For now the episode shows how a seemingly local HOA dustup over a single flag on a quiet street has blown up into a statewide fight over a charged symbol, free speech and who gets the final say on what flies over your front yard.
