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Get A Safe Schools Policy
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For too long, schools have ignored rampant anti-LGBT harassment in their hallways and classrooms. According to a 2001 survey, 65% of LGBT students reported being physically harassed and 42% reported being sexually harassed at school.
You can help reduce anti-LGBT harassment by encouraging your school to adopt a non-discrimination and anti-harassment policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. The harassment won't stop until schools take a public stand and make it clear that this harassment is no longer acceptable.
Every school should want to prevent anti-LGBT harassment. Studies, media accounts, and court cases demonstrate that this is a serious, nationwide problem. And it's not just LGBT students who are affected-it's people who are assumed to be LGBT, the growing number of students who have LGBT people in their families, and all students who deserve to go to school in a safe learning environment. Anti-LGBT harassment deprives students of the basic right to an education.
If concern for student safety isn't enough to motivate school leaders to act, they might be persuaded by the growing list of successful, expensive lawsuits filed by students against schools that ignored harassment.
Federal courts have ruled that schools are liable when they fail to stop anti-LGBT harassment. In April 2003 a second federal appeals court took this law a step further and said that teachers and administrators must take action to eliminate harassment when they learn that LGBT students are being abused at school.
A school with well-enforced nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies can help protect itself against these kinds of costly lawsuits -- and more importantly, make sure everyone has an equal opportunity to learn in a positive, respectful environment.
The following materials provide the information and resources you need to get safe schools policies at your school.
Getting these policies may not be a simple or quick process. Depending on the climate at your school, it may require a dedicated group effort and an entire school year to succeed.
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