Bernadine Kennedy Kent

Bernadine Kennedy Kent was born and raised in East Chicago, Indiana. A lifelong educator and community advocate, she has dedicated her career to education, child protection, and government accountability. Kent is recognized as a whistleblower and activist who has worked extensively on issues affecting children and families in her community.

Education and Early Career

Kent worked as a teacher and Assistant Principal for Columbus City Schools for over 20 years. In 1999, she was voted educator of the year by her peers. Her passion for education and student advocacy led her to establish the Parent Advocates for Students in Schools , an organization dedicated to protecting student rights and safety.

Kent gained recognition as a whistleblower when she exposed data tampering, identity theft, and tutoring fraud in the No Child Left Behind programs. Her personal investigation, which spanned six years, provided crucial evidence that helped the Auditor of State and the U.S. Attorney's office uncover fraudulent activities costing taxpayers more than $800,000. The U.S. Department of Education and the State Auditor recognized her contributions to these investigations.

Political Experience

Party and District: Kent is a Democrat who represents the 25th District of the Ohio House of Representatives, which includes portions of Columbus and areas in Blendon, Clinton, Mifflin, and Sharon townships in Franklin County.

Election to Office: In 2016, Kent ran for the Ohio House after incumbent Kevin Boyce announced his candidacy for Franklin County Commissioner. She won a four-way Democratic primary with over 35% of the vote and received endorsements from the Franklin County Democratic Party, the Columbus Education Association, and other union groups.

Legislative Achievements: During her tenure, Kent introduced House Bill 317, which mandated that Ohio law enforcement report child abuse and neglect—Ohio had been the only state without such a requirement. She also authored legislation that passed into law naming a highway in memory of an Ohio Department of Transportation worker. Additionally, Kent filed a writ of mandamus to ensure victims' rights protections under Marsy's Law are properly enforced following its passage in Ohio.

Notable Actions: Kent has been vocal about accountability issues within local government. In March 2018, she issued a press release accusing the Columbus Police Chief of wrongdoing, followed by a second press release criticizing the department's handling of child abuse reports. As a result of her advocacy positions differing from Democratic Caucus leadership, she was removed from the House Democratic Caucus in 2018, losing access to caucus resources and staff support. Despite this removal, Kent retained her House seat and was reelected that year by voters in her district.