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Home | Politically Connected | State Politics

Bill would amend anti-bullying law

Schools would have to train staff and track incidents. Administrators say they're already addressing the issue.

By KEVIN DUCHSCHERE, Star Tribune

Last update: March 18, 2009 - 8:26 PM

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Andy Berlin said he knows the difference between a hostile environment and a safe school.

At a west suburban high school, Berlin said he was harassed so much that he didn't feel safe in the halls and skipped a lot of classes. Now a student at the Perpich Center arts school in Golden Valley, he said he finally feels like any other high school senior.

"Instead of worrying about will I be bullied or harassed, I can just go to school and learn," he said.

Berlin and other students subjected to harassment were at the State Capitol on Wednesday to lobby for a bill that would amend Minnesota's anti-bullying law in part by requiring schools to train employees to deal with bullying and keep track of incidents.

Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis said the current law, which provides a model policy for school boards to adopt, is vague and has led to inconsistent standards in dealing with the problem.

While the current law covers race, gender and religion, the bill would add sexual orientation, national origin, disability and physical characteristics -- 14 categories, in all, of students and school employees. The bill prohibits harassment, bullying, intimidation or violence.

The state's school boards would be required to adopt a written policy to enact the anti-bullying language by Jan. 1.

Dibble said that disabled students and students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) have issues that "are going unaddressed" with devastating consequences -- learning disorders, depression, isolation and suicidal thoughts.

Groups representing school administrators agree bullying should be addressed. But they're already doing that, they said, thanks to an anti-bullying measure passed in 2005 that they said requires them to do much the same with fewer costly mandates.

"Our policy is comprehensive enough and aggressive enough to provide a safe learning environment for kids," said Kirk Schneidawind, a lobbyist for the Minnesota School Boards Association.

Charles Kyte, of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators, said bullying can never be excused. But he said more bureaucracy won't make it go away, while adding to the burdens faced by school workers.

The Senate Education Committee began a hearing Wednesday on the legislation and will continue this morning.

Several groups are backing the bill, including OutFront Minnesota, one of the state's leading GLBT advocates, and Education Minnesota, the state's teachers union.

Leah Matz, a junior at Minnesota New Country School in Henderson and a student organizer for the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network, was among the students who testified at the hearing about how bullying can destroy confidence and self-esteem.

"We all spoke poignantly about the bullying that we faced and how things like hate speech can escalate into physical harassment -- hitting, kicking, spitting -- these incredibly inhumane things that are happening to students," she said.

Staff writer Bob von Sternberg contributed to this report. Kevin Duchschere • 651-292-0164

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