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Loading ...Minnesota bully bill advances
03.25.2009 11:38am EDT
(St. Paul, Minnesota) Legislation that would expand Minnesota’s anti-bullying law is headed to a vote in the full state Senate after receiving committee approval Tuesday.
The proposal brings the law into parity with Minnesota’s human rights law by adding sexual orientation and physical appearance to the sorts of bullying barred in schools.Currently, sexual orientation is covered under the human rights law but not in the law affecting bullying.
Statistics show that 90 percent of LGBT students face harassment, yet 93 percent of schools don’t include sexual orientation or gender identity and expression in their anti-harassment policies.
The bill also would protect the children of gay and lesbian couples from being harassed in schools.
Minnesota’s Senate Education Committee approved the legislation following two days of testimony from students, parents and school administrators.
“This policy would give schools an important tool to establish the most conducive atmosphere for learning. The bill addresses the very real prevalence of bullying and harassment in our schools, especially against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students,” said Monica Meyer of OutFront Minnesota in a statement following the vote.
The Family Equality Council also praised the committee.
“For the last several years, our Minnesota staff has investigated the effectiveness of safe schools policies in the state, rightly concluding that Minnesota’s current policies do not keep students safe,” said spokesperson Kara Suffredini.
“Today’s vote recognizes the need to clarify state law and support students, parents and educators in keeping all students safe. We thank the committee for their thoughtful consideration, and look forward to working with other senators and representatives to pass this bill this session.”
Some Republicans are expressing concern, however, about the detailed list of categories in the bill.
“The concern that I have by going down this path is we are potentially creating a legal minefield for our schools,” Sen. David Hann said.
No date has been set for a vote on the Senate floor. A House version of the bill has yet to have a hearing.
Quote: ““The concern that I have by going down this path is we are potentially creating a legal minefield for our schools,” Sen. David Hann said
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This type of thinking is fear and nothing but it, and it stinks.
“creating a legal minefield” = “won’t be able to beat on people anymore”. And that’s the point.
I saw a program on TV about a school district that actively finds out who the bullies are, and then they actively work to help the bullies to learn better skills for coping with their problems, often family issues. The initial results were very encouraging. (To the best of my knowledge, the help they give the bullies is in *addition* to punishment for bad behavior, not *replacing* punishment for bad behavior.)
How many times have we seen the bully be a closeted person who can’t deal with their own sexual orientation? Or a bully who’s getting pounded by a father, mother, or older brother, and who tries to cope by scapegoating a weaker kid?
This “blast from the past” just popped into my mind….
I didn’t get into many fights in school, but I got into one in seventh or eighth grade. The other kid and I were brought before the Principal. After chewing us out, she pulled me aside and said, “You’re an honor student and headed for college some day. Don’t let losers like that get to you.” It hurt and angered me that she called the other kid a loser.
Years later, I ran into the other “kid” in a gay bar. He was a set designer, often working on Broadway, splitting his time between the US and his native Brazil.
Sometimes “bullies” are not what they appear to be.