Editorial: Taking on harassment

Updated: May 26, 2009 - 9:39 AM

Antibullying law would have provided more tools to protect students.

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Kids should not feel frightened in school because of other students. That's why the Minnesota Safe Schools for All Act, an antibullying and harassment measure, should not have been vetoed over the weekend by Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

The legislation would have expanded the current law that requires public schools to have written antiharassment polices in place. Under the plan, those policies would have included additional victim categories, such as national origin, physical characteristics, sexual orientation and perceived gender identity.

Those additions matter. When interpreting current policies that refer to sex, religion and race, some school staff might believe they don't apply in cases where kids are cruelly taunted for being disabled, overweight or speaking with an accent. The new language would have clarified existing law and given more direction and support to educators and other school staff.

Though the final version of the vetoed bill didn't contain those specific references, it did say that school policies must cover all students as outlined in the state's human rights law. That statute contains the expanded category list, which would have meant that future school policies must include them, too.

The bill also would have required antiharassment staff training, and it addressed electronic methods of harassment such as texting. The Legislature's approach was reasonable; it's unfortunate that it was vetoed.

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