House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on a proposed law aimed at protecting students from bullying that includes provisions meant to satisfy conservatives.
The House and Senate are expected to vote on the compromise today that would require local school boards to adopt anti-bulling polices and require school employees, volunteers and students to report bullying to school officials, Lynn Bonner reports.
Organizations such as the Christian Action League fought a version of the bill that listed "gender identity or expression," and "sexual orientation" as reasons a student would be bullied.
In the compromise, "gender identity and expressiion" is removed, and replaced with "masculinity" and "femininity." All negotiators signed the compromise, except for one Republican senator.
Rep. Rick Glazier, the Fayetteville Democrat who sponsored the bill, said the change eliminated descriptions that were causing the most controversy but still recognized that effeminate boys and tomboys are bullying targets.
The compromise makes clear that the descriptions in bullying law would not expand the existing classifications of people who can claim discrimination, Glazier said.
