Ohio adopts broad
antibullying measures

The Ohio Board of Education will not specifically refer to students' religion or sexual orientation in a newly approved antibullying policy. Board members opposed including references to gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and religion in the policy because they believed the categories were repetitive and unnecessary, the Associated Press reports.

"Let's say what this is," said Robin C. Hovis, a board member from Millersburg. "The issue is inclusion of homosexuality."

The state's policy is designed to create a model policy to help school districts create their own guidelines, as state law mandates.

The prevalent context of the policy is to prohibit "threats, taunts and intimidation through words and/or gestures." The policy also targets physical violence, extortion, using the Web to circulate gossip and rumors, and sending abusive or threatening instant messages, according to the AP.

The move to adopt an antibullying code follows the state legislature's requirement for all school districts to have an antibullying policy by the end of this year. (The Advocate)