With the N.C. House of Representatives narrowly passing
a controversial school anti-bullying bill, the bill is now set
to become law.
The bill broadens existing guidelines and requires the reporting
of bullying by students, teachers and volunteers, and also provides
categories of protection based on race, religion, disability,
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Controversy over the bill mostly stemmed from views that the legislature
would create precedent for gay rights in state government, with
51 Republican representatives voting against it, as well as six
Democrats. The bill passed the House by one vote, with Rep. Cullie
Tarleton (D-Watauga) sponsoring the bill and being among those
who determined the winning margin.
“The controversy had to do with the renumeration of the various
characteristics that the school systems had to pay attention to,
because two of them were sexual orientation and gender identity,”
Tarleton said.
“There must have been 12 or 15 groups listed. I actually
was a sponsor of the House bill because bullying is a problem
and we need to send a strong signal across the state that all
children are children of God and deserved to be protected.”
Tarleton downplayed any notion that the legislation was a gateway
for special classes of recognition and protection.
“I think it’s a red herring,” Tarleton said. “It’s
not going to happen. Some of the opponents of the school violence
bill said we were creating a situation for special agendas. Nothing
could be further for the truth. This was one bill and one thing
only. It makes very clear in the bill that this bill is not intended
to do anything but protect children.”
Tarleton said after he returned to his office in the wake of the
bill’s passage, he got a phone call within 10 seconds. “It
was from an assistant superintendent, not from my district, thanking
me and telling me this was needed,” Tarleton said.
The Watauga County school system will have to revise its policy
to include the new language, but will await guidance from the
N.C. Department of Public Instruction.
“I don’t think it will actually affect what we’re
doing much,” said school system spokesman Marshall Ashcraft.
“We’re doing a good job of protecting all students,
not just the ones identified in the legislation. The board of
education takes what legislature has done and turns it into policy
guidance.”
Three incidences of bullying were reported in Watauga County schools
last year. That comes to an average of .67 per thousand students
in the county, and the state average is 3.77 per year per thousand
students,
The school system already has a required anti-bullying policy
under the Safe Schools guidelines.
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