After nine years of trying, the New York State Senate finally approved a bill that is designed to protect students from bullying; it passed 58-3, with three Republican senators--John DeFrancisco, George Maziarz and Dale Volker--voting against it.
Republicans did, however, attempt to amend the bill to include “cyber-bullying” that might take place off school grounds, something amendment sponsor Senator Stephen Saland called a “glaring omission” from the legislation.
The bill applies to events held on school grounds and at school functions, but only at public schools. It prohibits harassment, “the creation of a hostile environment by conduct, verbal threats, intimidation or abuse that has or would unreasonably interfere with educational performance, opportunities, benefits, or physical or emotional well being, or cause fear for physical safety” an prohibits discrimination based on “actual or perceived race, color, weight, national origin, ethnic group, religion, religious practice, disability, sexual orientation, gender or sex.”
“It’s a very important bill for many many reasons to many many people, and it’s a very important bill for, I hope not too many generations....[a] students ability to excel in school is severely hampered by taunting, or intimidation or bullying....If I hadn’t been afraid in schools, I would have done better in school,” said Senator Tom Duane, who is openly gay, and the bill's sponsor.
Republicans pushed for their "cyber-bullying" amendment claiming it was more inclusive and makes the bill better. “If we look at this honestly, we should support this amendment because it’s all-inclusive,” Senator John DeFrancisco, a Republican who does not rank among the chamber’s tallest members, said. “Being still not a very big guy, I like to protect the little guys as well.”
Yet after that, he didn't support the little guy, and voted against the bill.
Hopefully, this bill will get put into law by Governor Paterson, and it will get passed around, state to state to state, because no one, no matter their height, weight, hair color, orientation, language or skin color, should be made to feel anything less than accepted oi n our public schools.
I'm glad this finally passed. Now if only we could get this to become a federal law somehow or convince more states to adopt it.
ReplyDeleteBTW Brent Sopel, who was supposed to represent the Hawks in Chicago's Gay Pride parade was traded to Atlanta last night. I have no idea if he's still going to attend or not.