Governor signs bill
to ban school bullying
By LYNN CAMPBELL,
DesMoinesRegister.com from the Web, March 6, 2007
DesMoines, Iowa -- Students
who last year staged "The Laramie Project" -- the controversial play about the
murder of a gay Wyoming university student -- got a front-row seat Monday when
Gov. Chet Culver signed a bill to ban bullying in all Iowa schools.
"This bill makes it clear Iowans are committed to providing protection against
intolerance in every Iowa school district," Culver said at the signing ceremony
at Valley High School in West Des Moines. "Bullying, threats and
intimidation have no place in our public education system."
Senate File 61 requires all Iowa schools to have policies by Sept. 1 that
prevent and punish bullying or harassment of any student. Currently, 77 of
Iowa's 365 public school districts have anti-bullying policies that include
sexual orientation.
With Monday's bill signing, Iowa becomes one of 10 states in the nation to enact
a comprehensive, statewide anti-bullying policy, Culver said.
Billy Hamilton, 18, of Urbandale, president of Valley's gay-straight alliance,
said he has not been verbally harassed but has had obscene, anti-gay notes stuck
on his locker a couple of times.
"We have students here who are gay, who are straight, transgender, who have had
problems," Hamilton said. "Sometimes, they have been unresolved.
Sometimes they feel like they can't go to the administration or tell someone
about what's happening. Hatred, it exists everywhere."
Last fall, Valley found itself in a firestorm of controversy when students
staged "The Laramie Project," a play about the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard, a
gay University of Wyoming student who was severely beaten, tied to a fence post
and left to die on the outskirts of Laramie, Wyo.
Students who performed in the play said Monday that they were glad the new law
protects students regardless of their age, color, creed, national origin, race,
religion, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical
attributes, physical or mental ability or disability, ancestry, political party
preference, political belief, socioeconomic status or family status.
"At least with this bill, it seems it's more universal instead of saying 'This
is just for the gays and lesbians' and 'This is for the African-Americans and
Hispanics.' I think it's a universal bill," said Valley senior Allison
Krois, 17, of West Des Moines.
But Bob Stouffer, Des Moines Christian School superintendent, said he was
against the legislation because of its listing of protected classes of students.
"The bottom line should be that bullying should not be tolerated for any
reason," Stouffer said.
Urbandale Superintendent Greg Robinson said his district added "sexual
orientation" to its anti-harassment policy about five years ago. He said
adults need to set an example to put the anti-bullying policy into practice.
"I think our kids see adults bully each other all the time," Robinson said.
"Before I comment on someone else's behavior, I've got to take care of my own.
...
"The hard part is once you pass laws and rules and policies, you hope people
would abide by them. It would be so nice if we would all just get along."
Reporter Lynn Campbell can be reached at (515) 284-8360 or
lcampbel@dmreg.com
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