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Kentucky Legislature To Consider Stronger Anti-Bullying Legislation

Kentucky’s State Legislature has introduced a measure that would strengthen the state’s current anti-bullying law by explicitly stating which classes of students will be considered protected against bullying. This new bill will include protections from bullying based upon a student’s actual or perceived race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical, mental emotional or learning disability.

The bill includes language from Representative Tim Moore regarding a student’s religious and speech rights saying “Nothing in this Act shall be construed to prohibit or deny
the civil expression by any student of religiously based opinions on issues
related to sexual orientation.” The problem, of course, is always what constitutes ‘civil’.

The Fairness Coalition notes that:

Though Kentucky passed a broadly-worded anti-bullying bill in 2008, tales of continued harassment along with the recent tragic suicide of Woodland Middle School eighth-grader Sam Denham in Northern Kentucky have prompted officials to pursue stricter language in the law. A House panel on education approved the measure last year with a nearly unanimous 21-1
bi-partisan vote.

Recent surveys have shown that 87% of registered voters in Kentucky support stronger anti-bullying protections and 83% support statewide anti-discrimination laws.