A story in today’s News & Observer reports that Howard Lee, chairman of the N.C. Board of Education, opposes language in a proposed anti-bullying policy currently before legislators that would add “sexual orientation” to other protected classes.
“Bullying is bullying,” Lee told the N&O. “I don’t care who it’s against and under what circumstances.”
Lee has a great point here. As pointed out previously on this blog, what about the many other characteristics and classifications among students that generate bullying and teasing? By establishing a specific list of protected classes, legislators would be saying that students who fit these descriptions are somehow more worthy of protection than others.
So, a bill that is meant to fight discrimination has the reverse effect of establishing protected classes and excluding those who don’t fit the appropriate description…hardly a fair policy.
What would be a fair policy? As Lee says, crack down on bullying period. Eliminate all the distinctions and have a uniform policy…students will be punished for bullying regardless of whether the target is male or female, black or white, fat or skinny, light hair or dark hair, Christian or Muslim, homosexual or heterosexual.
