Three Minnesota students to play vital role in state's antibullying law

An 11-year-old boy named Jake Ross completely upstaged Gov. Mark Dayton when he signed the new state antibullying legislation into law last spring.

In a calm, unwavering voice, Ross told the hundreds of people gathered there how he was brutally bullied as a 7-year-old and how the abuse led him to transfer schools. He ended his speech by directly addressing students who had been bullied.

"I wish you freedom from your pain," Ross told the crowd gathered at the Capitol, many of whom were moved to tears.

Now the Forest Lake boy is among three student representatives on the state council overseeing the implementation of Minnesota's new antibullying law, which gives schools across the state new tools to combat student harassment.

As members of the School Safety Technical Assistance Council, Ross, Zeam Porter and Michael Reinhardt are in a powerful position to influence how the law is implemented.

Each brings their own perspective to the group. Porter identifies as transgender queer and attends a metro-area private school. Reinhardt, a Bloomington Jefferson High School senior, leads his school's Gay Straight Alliance. At 12, Ross is by far the youngest person on the council, which also consists of teachers, principals, law enforcement officers and representatives from state agencies.

It is somewhat unusual for students to serve as voting members on state councils that shape education policy, but supporters of Minnesota's new bullying law thought it was important that young people be included on the 23-person group. It also is a dramatic turn for the youngest leaders of an effort that gripped the Capitol for a couple of years with no guarantee it would ever become law.

"Students really had an incredible voice in moving this legislation forward," said Rep. Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis, one of the law's cosponsors. "Even in the face of opposition, students fought really hard to make sure Minnesota schools had a safe climate. So we really needed to honor that commitment they made."

While Reinhardt and Ross both worked to raise support for the new antibullying law, Porter has been a visible advocate for transgender students in Minnesota, testifying recently before the state High School League, which is considering allowing transgender athletes to play on teams that match their gender identity.

Since then, Porter — who uses the pronouns they, them and theirs — has received praise from people across the country, particularly from transgender students.

"As many tears as I cried that day, there were even more tears among the people who supported me," Porter said. "I was like, 'Oh my goodness. Thank you for seeing me as human and trying to put yourself in my shoes, to have real emotions and shed real tears.' "

A promise to Jake

State Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, who co-authored the antibullying law, said Ross inspired him from the moment he met him at a Senate committee meeting when the bill was first introduced in 2013.

It was Ross and his family, Dibble said, that kept him motivated after the bullying legislation stalled out that year.

"I could barely look at him," Dibble said of Ross. "He was just devastated. But I remember sitting next to him when it became apparent it wasn't going forward, putting my arm around him and making him a promise we wouldn't give up. I had to keep that promise."

A quiet kid by nature, Ross, now a seventh-grader at Century Junior High in Forest Lake, admits that speaking to legislators about bullying was always "kind of scary" but he has no regrets about telling his story.

"I guess I was just interested in talking publicly, because that's kind of the strength I have," he said.

Like Ross, both Porter and Reinhardt have been bullied in the past and bring that experience to their council work. Porter recalls having pencils thrown at them and being called names by classmates at a previous school.

"There are always going to be people in my life that don't like me because I'm trans, who are going to tell me I'm going to burn in hell. I'll never find a partner. I'll never have a job," Porter said. "But I've had more positive comments overall."

In fact, OutFront Minnesota, which played a pivotal role in the passage of the law, will this weekend honor both Ross and Porter at an awards gala Saturday.

"They have this amazing power to make other youth feel like they're not alone," said Monica Meyer, the group's executive director. "I think they're going to continue to inspire people. They've certainly inspired me."

A valuable perspective

The students are proving to be active participants of the new group, raising questions for discussion or offering insight into how bullying affects students.

At a meeting Tuesday, Porter asked why a state survey of students that included questions about bullying didn't ask middle school students whether their gender identity or sexual orientation were factors if they were harassed. As Porter, and later Reinhardt, pointed out, sometimes perceptions matter as much as reality.

"I was bullied for being perceived as gay before I even knew I was gay," Reinhardt said. "I'm hoping they realize they need to change that on [the] survey."

Council members say the three students have been a welcome addition to the group.

Julie Blaha, the former president of the Anoka-Hennepin teachers union who serves on the council, said she loves the fact that students don't have the kind of political baggage that many adults can bring to such groups.

"They bring a very clear understanding to what students' lives are like right now," Blaha said. "That perspective is so valuable when you're talking about issues that affect students."

The students say the other council members have gone out of their way to make them feel like they belong at the table. But most of all, Porter said, the adults in the group value their thoughts.

"Finally, here are adults who have degrees and care about these issues that affect us," Porter said. "They want to work with me and treat me like I'm their equal. They listen to me. And that's pretty radical."

Kim McGuire • 612-673-4469