Supporters of the gay and lesbian community are most elated with the revised policy that now specifically names LGBT students among those most likely to be bullied.
“We had been having concerns over information about kids being bullied at school because they are lesbians or gays,” said Susie Sizemore, chapter president of PFLAG of
Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, or PFLAG, is a nonprofit providing advocacy and support and to the local LGBT - an initialism referring to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgenered
The group approached the district about adopting enumerated language last year that when it learned the school board would reopen the policy to address cyber bullying.
“We found out that school systems that listed language specifically about characteristics of kids most likely to be bullied reduces problems for kids in the school,” Sizemore said.
The group presented the school board with research studies on bullying and its long-term psychological ramifications in their appeal to get the board to adopt the language.
Gay and lesbian students were already protected under wording that covers all students and staff in the previous policy.
Legislators passed The Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for
The act required districts to adopt a formal anti-bullying policy prohibiting harassment and intimidation of students and staff on school grounds, at school events and through school computer networks. The policy gave guidelines for reporting and investigating allegations of harassment and suggested consequences.
The legislation also gives school districts the authority to identify their own categories of students at risk, and that’s the right PFLAG hoped Bay District would act on.
“We’re really happy the school board worked with us on that,” Sizemore said.
Currently, there aren’t any existing gay-straight alliance groups in Bay District schools. Sizemore said such groups are allowed if a faculty member agrees to be the advisor for a LGBT student group.
“We hope someone would come forward and want to do that,” she said. “We would be totally behind them.”
Sizemore said one potential concern over adding specific language about gender expression to the policy is that it may leave too much room for interpretation over which restrooms transgender students are allowed to access.
The issue of transgender student bathroom and locker room access had received a lot of publicity around the country this year as schools were confronted with specific cases.
The policy aims to protect the right of all students to feel safe. School boards had approached the policy with extra caution to avoid leaving a loophole for just anyone to have access to restrooms of the opposite sex.
In addition to gender expression and sexual preference, the Bay District policy now includes wording to protect those bullied due to race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, marital status, socio-economic status and political beliefs.
PFLAG has only had a couple of kids come forward with concerns over being accepted as gay or lesbian, but Sizemore said more are out there.
“There are a lot of LGBT kids in the school system here, but they’re not real visible,” she said.
Sizemore said a significant portion of homeless kids in
Sizemore sees the anti-bullying policy as a good starting point to bringing more awareness to this type of discrimination.
“We’re trying to get the word out to parents and kids in the community that they do have that protection,” Sizemore said. “The school board is doing a really good job, and I’m pleased. We’re all pleased.”