What's At Stake?
Our Stories: Schools
Every Texas student should be able to obtain an education free from physical and mental harm.
Equality Texas supports legislation prohibiting any form of harassment or bullying in Texas schools, including but not limited to harassment or bullying based on race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical appearance of the student or the student's parent(s).
Equality Texas supports legislation to provide teachers with the training they need to address and stop acts of harassment and bullying in order to protect their students.
The goal of Our Stories: Schools is to educate the public about: (i) the frequency of harassment and bullying in Texas schools, (ii) the lack of uniform codes of conduct in school districts across the state, and (iii) the lack of training for teachers and administrators to effectively address and stop harassment and bullying.
Overview:
Texas law does NOT identify or address any of the characteristics most often cited as the object of school harassment or bullying.
Texas law does NOT establish a uniform state school conduct policy.
Texas law does NOT provide for monitoring or enforcement of independent school district policies.
Issues:
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth suffer tremendously because of anti-gay harassment and discrimination. LGBT youth drop out of school at a higher rate than straight youth and are statistically more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth.
The Texas Education Code, Subtitle G, Chapter 37 was amended in 2005 to require independent school districts to establish a student code of conduct for the district. Chapter 37 requires that the policy address a prohibition on bullying, harassment, and hit lists.
Harassment is defined as "threatening to cause harm or bodily injury to another student, engaging in sexually intimidating conduct, causing physical damage to the property of another student, subjecting another student to physical confinement or restraint, or maliciously taking any action that substantially harms another student's physical or emotional health or safety."
There are no provisions for the State of Texas to monitor the development, implementation, and enforcement of any school district's student code of conduct.
Equality Texas Position:
Equality Texas supports legislation requiring public schools and colleges to adopt policies that prohibit harassment, bullying and discrimination based on race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical appearance of the student or the student's parent(s). Equality Texas supports legislation to provide teachers with the training they need to address and stop acts of harassment and bullying in order to protect their students.
Equality Texas supports extending the prohibition of harassment, bullying and discrimination to employees of public schools and colleges.
Equality Texas supports the creation of GSA's (gay-straight alliances) in public schools to foster tolerance and diversity.
Establishing a uniform code of school conduct which identifies and addresses the characteristics most often cited as the object of prohibited harassment and bullying would not create special classes or rights. It would not endorse any specific belief, practice, behavior, or orientation. Enumerating any and all objects of prohibited harassment and bullying would simply help teachers and administrators to identify, address, and stop harassment and bullying in Texas schools.
Equality Texas Action:
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Educate the public and our State Senators and Representatives about: (i) the frequency of harassment and bullying in Texas schools, (ii) the lack of uniform codes of conduct in school districts across the state, and (iii) the lack of training for teachers and administrators to effectively identify, address and stop harassment and bullying.
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Work to advance legislation prohibiting any form of harassment or bullying in Texas schools, including but not limited to harassment or bullying based on race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, or physical appearance of the student or the student's parent(s).
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Work to advance legislation to provide teachers with the training they need to address and stop acts of harassment and bullying in order to protect their students.
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Work to secure funding for a statewide study to research the incident rates of harassment and bullying, and their causes.
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Advocate for the Texas Legislature to collect and publish all independent school districts' student codes of conduct. This information will be helpful in assessing the current effectiveness of the statute governing safety of students at school.
- Work with allied education organizations to promote comprehensive policies against harassment and bullying.
- Encourage students who have experienced harassment and bullying, and their parents, to tell their stories and to educate the public and legislators about the harmful impact of inadequate harassment and bullying policies.
Calling You to Action:
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