MT Schools Anti-Bullying Bill Pulled- But Not For The Reasons You May Think

From Rep. Jean Price:

Good news for supporters of the anti-bullying bill!

It turns out that at the same time we were working on language for HB 219, the Board of Public Education adopted the same bullying prevention language in their school accreditation standards. The Board of Public Education has the constitutional authority to adopt new rules for schools.

The new standards require that schools adopt policies and procedures to address bullying. You can find the document on the Board of Public Education website under proposed Chapter 55 Accreditation Standards. Here is the direct link: http://bpe.mt.gov/content/PDF/VariousDocs/Chapter55.

These standards go into effect July 1, 2013. Taking the new rule adoption into consideration, and after discussion with the Office of Public Instruction, I have withdrawn HB 219 from consideration by the House Education Committee on Wednesday, February 6^th.

Remember that this is good news! I encourage you to share the section of the new standards with students, parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, and other community members.

While we won’t have a state law on the books,schools will be required to abide by the new standards.

Thank you so much for your interest in HB 219. I appreciate your commitment to this very important issue.

Rep. Jean Price

The Truth About Rape

Jan12 by D Gregory Smith

The infographic below was created by The Enliven Project, a truth-telling campaign to bring sexual violence out of the closest and convert the most powerful bystanders to new allies. It appeared in the Washington Post yesterday and has since received some criticism for being misleading. Either way the truth of the matter is that nearly one in five women have been raped and over 50 percent of rapes go unreported which is depressing all on its own.

How Many Rapes Go Unreported in India? (washingtonmonthly.com)
America’s Rape Problem: We Refuse to Admit That There Is One (thenation.com)

Compassion For The Boy Who Cried “Wolf!”

Aug7 by D Gregory Smith

So, I want to take a moment to respond to the faux gay-bashing incident that swept me (and the gay media) by storm yesterday.

Yeah, I’m angry.

I think this may have set things back a bit as far as people taking the threat to LGBTQ people seriously in the state of Montana. When someone needs the help of the police because they have been a victim of gay assault, will it be met with deep suspicion and possibly a sneer?

I’m also really worried about the kid who reported the whole thing.

I’m worried that this will ruin his life. I’m worried that this decision to report- however it was made- was possibly made under the influence. Bad decisions are made every day under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Montana is populated with an extraordinary amount of repeat DUI offenders. Our stats are not pretty. When Montana police respond to fights, domestic violence or robbery, they’re mostly alcohol related. Ask any cop. In a 2010 survey of Montana State Prison inmates, 93% had alcohol related to their crime. 93 percent. So I’m worried that an all-too-common clouded decision-making process will become a reason for retribution.

Yeah, I’m worried that the community that so quickly rallied around him will turn just as quickly against him.

I want to argue for some understanding. We don’t know the circumstances. We don’t know the reasons. We don’t know the situation. We don’t know anything- except what the police reports and press releases have told us.

I think that the concern we all had for him can be turned in a new direction- toward trying to understand- and trying to forgive. Youthful indiscretion aside, mistakes are made- and so are apologies.

When his is made, I’m going to do my damnedest to accept it.

Because I’ve made mistakes of my own.

I also know that we’re going to need to remember the response that galvanized a bunch of people around the country into action. Because, someday, we’re going to need to rally around a victim of hate, a victim of injustice, a victim of violence- and I don’t want to have suspicion be the first voice that enters my head. I want compassion to be the first voice.

And I don’t want the memory of this or any incident to overcome compassion’s voice in my heart.

Ever.

That’s my prayer.