N.Y. anti-bullying legislation would include sexual orientation
A bill has been introduced in the New York Senate that would ban bullying in public schools, including harassment based on sexual orientation. The legislation, which includes language protecting transgender students and teachers, has been a priority of advocates for gay and lesbian rights but was ignored for nearly a decade in the Senate. Alan Van Capelle, the executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, a gay-rights organization, said the legislation is an important recognition that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students are often harassed at school. “In a ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,’ ‘Will and Grace’ world, kids are coming out at a much younger age,” he said. “As a community, we have done a woefully inadequate job of protecting them.” The legislation would require training to help teachers recognize and respond to bullying and require schools to keep track of bullying cases, including incidents in which students are harassed for their sexual orientation. Mr. Van Capelle said 11 other states had passed similar bullying legislation.
Source: New York Times, 8/7/08, By Jennifer Medina
[Editor’s Note: Information on anti-bullying legislation in Florida and Iowa is available starting below.]
NSBA School Law pages on Florida anti-bullying legislation