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September 04, 2008

NYC's School Antibullying Policy Given More Teeth

The New York City Department of Education will start training educators this fall through a new initiative that strengthens the city's existing Respect for All antibullying policy for the city's schools. The plan was approved by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city schools chancellor Joel Klein, according to TowleRoad.com. 

The initiative “prohibits students from bullying other students for any reason, including taunting and/or intimidation through the use of epithets or slurs involving race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or disability,” according to the DOE.

Bloomberg vetoed a 2004 antiharassment bill that would have provided protection for LGBT students in the New York school district, on the grounds that city council members should not regulate safety at school. The new initiative, enforced by the city's Department of Education, emphasizes respect, accountability, and confidentiality. According to the plan, all reported incidents of bullying, harassment, or intimidation will be investigated, The New York Times reports.

Supporters of the initiative include Kevin Jennings, founder of the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network; Drew Tagliabue of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, New York City chapter; and New York City council speaker Christine Quinn.

“These new regulations combined with the Respect for All Initiative will go a long way in ensuring that school officials and young people are appropriately informed and trained, and that we are accurately tracking incidents of harassment as they occur,” Quinn told TowleRoad.com.

New regulations include designating a school staff member who students can turn to in cases of harassment; a new contact for students who have questions; and a specific requirement for schools to report all incidents of bullying, according to The New York Times.

“When students are victims of bullying because of race, sexual orientation, or other factors, they simply cannot focus on learning, and we cannot allow that,” Bloomberg told TowleRoad.com. (The Advocate) 

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