DES MOINES, Iowa (KTIV) -
A Sioux City lawmaker will introduce a bill meant to combat bullying in Iowa's schools.
Representative Ron Jorgensen chairs the House education committee, and will handle the bill, which came out of a day-long conference, in Des Moines, in November.
The bill would give schools more authority to address cyber-bullying by adding "social networking" to the definition of electronic communications. It would also state that nothing stops a school from addressing bullying or harassment that occurs away from school or a school function, while providing additional protection to school employees who decide not to act on alleged bullying under those circumstances.
The bill would also expand the definition of traits, or characteristics, of bullying.
The bill would Separate the definition of harassment and bullying. Harassment means conduct or an act based on an actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student. Bullying is conduct or an act for "any reason other than any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student." Sometimes kids are bullied for reasons that are not properly categorized as a trait or characteristic. Examples include relationship status, such as a boy threatening a classmate dating his former girlfriend, or a group of girls shunning a girl they've decided to pick on. The bill would requiring online posting of anti-bullying policies and complaint forms.
The bill would also protect students' First Amendment rights by stating that nothing in the legislation shall be construed to restrain or discipline speech that expresses political, religious or other protected categories of speech, which address legitimate matters of public concern.
