Rally set Friday in Dallas to promote legislation, promote awareness of bullying in schools, teen suicide
DAVID TAFFET | Staff Writer taffet@dallasvoice.com
- RALLYING FOR SAFE SCHOOLS | Rep. Roberto Alonzo, a Dallas Democrat, right, speaks to a witness during a meeting of the House Committee on Higher Education during the 2007 session of the Texas Legislature. Alonzo is among those who will speak at a rally Friday to promote awareness of the problems of bullying in schools and teen suicide.
Dallas Gay and Lesbian Alliance will hold a rally in Lake Cliff Park in Oak Cliff on Friday, Oct. 15 to draw attention to the problem of gay teen suicide and to opportunities in the next session of the legislature to end school bullying.
State Rep. Roberto Alonzo is among the speakers. In the last session he coauthored a safe schools bill with Rep. Mark Strama of Austin. The legislation did not pass.
Larry Duncan, president of Dallas County Schools, is also scheduled to appear. Dallas County Schools is providing shuttle bus service from 8th & Corinth Station on the Red and Blue lines to Lake Cliff Park. The park is located at E. Colorado and Zang boulevards.
“The rally is important because we need a safe schools law that empowers teachers, administrators and staff to stop bullying when they see it,” said DGLA President Patti Fink. “No kid can focus on algebra when they’re fearing for their safety. Kids are losing their lives over this issue. It’s got to stop.”
Most states, including Texas, do have some form of anti-bullying laws.
Only five states — Hawaii, Michigan, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana — remain without any student protection.
In 2005, the Texas legislature passed Chapter 37 of the Education code that requires school districts to adopt student codes of conduct that proscribe bullying and harassment.
The law does not specify groups that are often the targets and doesn’t enumerate what must happen when school staff observes bullying behavior.
Laws that are not specific have proven to be ineffective in preventing bullying of LGBT students, according to advocates.
The current Dallas Independent School District regulations list groups protected from harassment. Among those is the unclear “gender orientation,” sort of a combination and confusion of gender identity and sexual orientation, which are not listed.
Four representatives from the LGBT community attended a DISD board of trustees meeting on Thursday, Oct. 14. The board is considering a new anti-bullying policy. The proposed policy, as currently written, doesn’t specifically protect LGBT students.
Gregory Pynes, vice chair of the board for Resource Center Dallas, spoke during public comments and commended the trustees for wanting to strengthen their anti-bullying policy.
But he urged them to amend the proposed policy by listing protected categories, including sexual orientation and gender identity.
Pynes invited trustees to work with Resource Center on the policy, which is expected to come up for a final vote later this month.
Others from the LGBT community who attended the DISD meeting were Chastity Kirven of Get Equal Now, David Plunkett of Hope for Peace and Justice and Pamela Curry of Stonewall Democrats of Dallas.
Earlier this year, Fort Worth ISD ran a district-wide poster campaign called “It’s Not Okay” to bully one’s fellow students or to allow others to be victimized. The district sponsored parent workshops throughout the district to combat bullying.
Sexual orientation is included in the Fort Worth school district’s bullying policy under its code of conduct. Gender identity is not.
Other large school districts in the area — including Plano, Richardson and Arlington ISDs — do not specify groups that are covered by anti-bullying policies.
One of Tarrant County’s largest school districts, Birdville ISD, does not list covered groups. Earlier this year, Haltom City parents called police about bullying incidents at a BISD school and brought their complaints about bullying including assaults to CBS 11.
At this week’s city council meeting, Fort Worth city council member Joel Burns gave an emotional speech about having been bullied in school and considering suicide. He showed pictures of six teens who recently committed suicide after having been bullied and told their stories.
“This bullying and harassment in our schools must stop,” he said.
His 10-minute speech received a standing ovation from other council members and from citizens attending the meeting.
Equality Texas Deputy Director Chuck Smith said that stronger safe schools legislation will be the top priority of the upcoming legislative session. He said that electing legislators who will support an anti-bullying law is important. Several bills will be introduced in the House.
The law that Smith was most excited about is one being crafted by Rep. Mark Strama of Austin. Strama has introduced safe schools legislation each session since he was elected in 2004. Local representatives Alonzo and Raphael Anchia of Dallas, Paula Pierson of
Arlington and Lon Burnham of Fort Worth co-authored the bill in the last session.
Burnham’s legislative director in Austin reaffirmed Burnham’s commitment to the issue.
“He certainly supports and is concerned with the issue,” he said.
Smith said next session’s proposed law is different from previous versions. The exact language of the new bill is still being written.
However, Strama’s proposed legislation will specify what does and does not constitute bullying and what school personnel must do when they see bullying occur or when it is reported.
In defining the problem, schoolyard fights, for example, are not considered bullying.
Bullying refers to verbal or physical acts committed by a student to harass, intimidate or cause harm to another student. The more recent problem of cyber-bullying includes threats, harassment and intimidation on line as well as in texting or through other electronic means.
Locally, support for anti-bullying legislation appears strong although some representatives would not commit to supporting a particular bill until they saw final wording. Specifying gay, lesbian or transgender students has been the reason some withhold support of anti-bullying legislation in the past.
Rep. Eric Johnson represents part of Oak Lawn and campaigned on the issue of safe schools. His wife serves on the board of Resource Center Dallas.
“We must provide all Texas schoolchildren with an atmosphere in which they feel, and in fact are, safe while learning,” said Johnson.
“Our very future depends on it. I will support comprehensive legislation in the Texas House to address the issue of bullying directly so that all of our children have the opportunity to make the most of their education and their lives.”
Calls to other area legislative offices showed general consensus that schools need to be made safer for students.
Republican Rep. Linda Harper-Brown’s office said, “Of course. She’s against any bullying in schools.”
Harper-Brown’s district is in Irving. Her opponent is in the upcoming election is Loretta Haldenwang. Her campaign manager, Kirk McPike, also indicated support.
Multiple calls to other area Representatives’ local, Austin and campaign offices were not returned. Many of those legislators did support the Strama bill in the current session.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 15, 2010.
I am a grandmother , what can I do to implement the stop bullying in the school where my grandson is attending ?, and what action can be taking against the district and school and teachers due to lack of control or concern for what is happening to these children and teens that is facing this harassment daily.