The anti-bullying bill, which would have listed gay students as potential harassment targets, is dead, said a state senator who worked on proposal.
The Senate had the bill on its list of issues to vote on today, but sent it back to committee.
Another controversial bill that appeared dead this week was twice given new life and passed, but Sen. Doug Berger, a Franklin County Democrat, said the bullying bill is really gone.
The bill was controversial because it listed "sexual orientation" and more than a dozen other characteristics as reasons school children might be bully targets. Groups interested in socially conservative issues such as the Christian Action League and the N.C. Family Policy Council did not want the term "sexual orientation" in state law, saying that gay-rights groups would use it to leverage other rights.
The bill would have required teachers, students and volunteers to report bullying and have local school boards establish anti-bullying policies.
Ironically, supporters said they had enough votes to pass it, but only if everyone showed up. As a courtesy, the Senate allows members who cannot be around for votes to "pair" with another senators who are going to vote the opposite way. When senators "pair," their votes cancel each other.
Berger said the bill's opponents pressured senators who were going to vote no not to accept pair requests from senators who would have voted for the bill.
Bullying is already against school policies, Berger said, but the only way it is going to be seriously addressed is if people talk frankly about who gets targeted.
"The failure of this bill to pass, I think, it sends a bad message," Berger said.
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