Mass. House Approves
Anti-Bullying Bill
Massachusetts House lawmakers have unanimously approved a bill designed to clamp down on school bullies after restoring language intended to toughen the legislation.
The bill would ban bullying, require school districts to come up with bullying prevention plans and expand the definition of bullying to include the growing problem of Internet cyberbullying through the use of e-mails or text messages.
The legislation would also require school officials to inform parents of their anti-bullying curriculum and alert both the parents of bullies and the parents of their victims after a bullying incident
Lawmakers approved the bill on a 148-0 vote after debating the measure for more than three hours.
Rep. Marty Walz, the House chairwoman of the Education Committee, said the advent of social media outlets like Twitter and Facebook have transformed bullying, allowing bullies to torment their victims around the clock. No longer can students find refuge at home, she said.
"With technology, students can be cruel to each other in ways that were unimaginable," said Walz, D-Boston. "The threat in the playground or the locker room has morphed into an electronic menace and one that is often anonymous."
Advocates had initially criticized the House bill for being weaker than the version approved by the Senate last week.
During the debate, however, House lawmakers voted to toughen up the language. They added one amendment requiring teachers, nurses, custodians and other school workers to report all incidents of bullying to the school principal and a second amendment requiring anti-bullying training for teachers.
A third amendment adopted by the House would extend the protections of the bill to all private schools that accept students whose tuition is funded by the state, including special needs students.
"This amendment closes the gap and protects some of our most vulnerable students," Rep. David P. Linsky, D-Natick, said.
Some critics said the legislation wasn't tough enough and pushed to include language in the House bill that would have fined teachers and others for not reporting bullies.
"It's a toothless wonder," Rep. Robert S. Hargraves, R-Groton, said of the bill.
The House rejected the amendment.
Lawmakers adopted another amendment designed to create a statewide "no name calling" day. Students would be encouraged to think about the effects of bullying and to take a pledge not to call each other names. Rep. Matthew Patrick, D-Falmouth, said he sponsored the amendment at the request of school children in Mashpee.
House Speaker Robert DeLeo defended the decision to toughen the bill's language, saying he was responding to the concerns of House lawmakers. He said there would be some small cost associated with training teachers. One House estimate placed that cost at about $150,000.
The push for anti-bullying legislation has gained momentum following the recent suicides of students in South Hadley and Springfield.
Last year, 11-year-old Springfield resident Carl Walker-Hoover hung himself in his family's home. His mother Sirdeaner Walker said her son was bullied relentlessly by classmates at his charter school. She said they made fun of how he dressed, called him gay and threatened him.
In January, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince killed herself after allegedly being bullied by a group of South Hadley classmates who used text messages and Facebook posts to add to their in-person intimidation.
Gov. Deval Patrick has expressed support for the Legislature's push to restrict bullying in schools.
Education Week
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