Legislators renew talk anti-bullying measure

By Melanthia Mitchell

Associated Press

OLYMPIA — Any bullying state lawmakers may have experienced or witnessed as teen-agers is nothing compared to the harassment many students now endure on a daily basis, Attorney General Christine Gregoire said Monday.

Gregoire, who headed a task force that looked at bullying in Washington, urged the House Education Committee to pass a bill that would require schools to adopt anti-bullying policies.

"Teasing, harassing, bullying, dissing … is not only wrong, it can be a life or death issue in our schools today," Gregoire said. "As adults we don’t tolerate harassment in the workplace, why then would we allow harassment in our schools to go on with such a vulnerable population as our children?"

Committee chairman Rep. Dave Quall, D-Mount Vernon, was confident the bill will clear the committee this session.

"Just as it took time to protect workers, it’s going to take time to create that kind of environment in our public schools," Quall said. "If we can do it there, then we should be able to do it in our schools and on the playground."

Last year, the Democratically-controlled Senate passed the bill twice, but it never made it out of committee in the evenly divided House.

The bill stands a better chance of passage this year as Democrats hold the majority in both houses for the first time since 1994.

Opponents say the proposal will place undue stress on schools already burdened with government regulation.

Julanne Burts of Citizens United for Responsible Education said the bill duplicates laws already available to administrators and might do more harm than good.

"Will the bill be effective or will it be more attractive for (bullies) to thumb their nose at state law?" Burts asked.

Committee members also heard a now-familiar argument that the policy will infringe on students’ First Amendment rights to speak out against homosexuality or opposing religious beliefs.

Rick Forcier, executive director of the Christian Coalition of Washington, also said the bill fails to deal with the heart of the problem — students aren’t nice enough to one another.

"This bill is an attempt to deal with the symptoms and not the causes," Forcier said.

House Bill 1444 requires all 296 school districts to adopt or amend anti-bullying policies to stop harassment. The state would write a model policy as a guide.

The proposal is backed by Gregoire and Gov. Gary Locke, who earmarked $500,000 in the 2001-03 budget for anti-bullying planning and training.

While the bill wouldn’t guarantee an end to harassment, it would let parents and school administrators send a message that bullying will not be tolerated, Gregoire said.

"In Colorado, they passed the legislation overwhelmingly last year because they saw the unfortunate circumstances by allowing that culture to continue," Gregoire said, referring to the 1997 massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo.

Quall agreed with opponents who say another bill is not going to change a student’s character, but he said it is a way of highlighting an issue that needs to be addressed.

"We need to create a new climate, and teach and emphasize those traits and values, that would cause a person to be more empathetic and thoughtful," Quall said. "If you can mobilize the school community … then good things can happen and will happen. This can be a good first step."

Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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