Category Archives for bullying
2011 Lege Wrap Up: Anti-Bullying
Efforts to protect bullied schoolchildren in Texas have been largely unsuccessful in state legislative sessions past. But with the mounting number of high-profile tragedies across the country in the last couple of years — with some children driven to suicide by relentless bullying — those unsuccessful anti-bullying measures were bound to get a fresh look […]
Anti-Bullying Bill: On to the Governor
We are happy to report that the Texas House tonight gave final passage to House Bill 1942, which requires public school districts to adopt policies to protect students from bullying. Religious-right groups had opposed the bill’s passage. Here are some highlights from HB 1942: The bill defines bullying in Chaper 37 (Discipline) of the Texas […]
Texas Senate OKs Anti-Bullying Bill
The Texas Senate today passed House Bill 1942 unanimously, yet another step toward protecting children from bullying in the state’s public schools. Because a Senate committee made a technical change to the bill, the bill must go back to the House for approval before heading to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature. The Texas Freedom […]
TX Senate Committee Passes Anti-Bullying Bill
Legislative efforts to protect bullied children in Texas schools just passed the Senate Education Committee. The Texas House passed House Bill 1942 on May 4. The full Senate must now approve the bill to send it on to Gov. Rick Perry for his signature. If HB 1942 becomes law, it would: Include the definition of […]
RR Groups Oppose Anti-Bullying Bill
Texas Freedom Network President Kathy Miller testified yesterday at a Texas House Public Education Committee hearing (archived video of the hearing here) in support of legislation to help schools better protect their students from bullying. Tragically, unrelenting harassment and bullying have led some Texas students — like 13-year-old Asher Brown last September — to take […]
Anti-Bullying Bill Set For Public Hearing
Few of us would disagree that we have a duty to keep children safe, and that means we are all invested in ensuring that our schools provide a safe learning environment. That is why we’re pleased to see that HB 224 — proposed anti-bullying legislation filed by State Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin — has been […]
Lobby for Equality
Our friends and partners at Equality Texas have asked us to pass along an invitation to TFN members, and we are more than happy to do so. Equality Texas is hosting a lobby day coming up on Monday, March 7, to push for inclusive policies that protect all children, end discrimination and strengthen relationships. Here […]
An Appeal for Hope
The research compiled by the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University in San Marcos is heartbreaking: since 2004, at least six Texas teens have been so tormented by bullying and abuse at school that they have taken their own lives. Another attempted suicide by jumping from a two-and-a-half-story balcony. Some of the students […]
Bullies and the Religious Right
The message from Texans was loud and clear in the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund’s statewide survey last spring: 88 percent of likely voters said they support “requiring public schools to protect all children from bullying, harassment, and discrimination in school, including the children of gay and lesbian parents or teenagers who are gay.” Far-right […]