Ala anti-bullying policy omits sexual orientation
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ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) — Under an anti-harassment policy passed by the Anniston Board of Education, students are explicitly protected from bullying based on their race, gender, religion or disability.
Sexual orientation? Not so much.
With Wednesday's unanimous vote, Anniston joined school systems across the state in passing an official policy for dealing with bullying and harassment. The move is required by the Student Harassment Prevention Act, passed by the Alabama Legislature in the wake of a wave of bullying-related suicides across the country.
Shortly after the law was passed, the state released a model anti-harassment policy that has since been adopted almost word-for-word in many school districts. The model policy explicitly bans harassment based on race, disability and religion, but is silent on anti-gay bullying.
That's a big problem for anti-bullying advocates, who say that anti-gay slurs and violence make up a significant portion of the bullying most students — gay or straight — experience in school.
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—Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP