Congressmember Jerrold Nadler, Kevin Jennings of the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Educational Alliance and Phyllis Steinberg of PFLAG NYC, gathered outside the Little Red Schoolhouse at Bleecker St. and Sixth Ave. on Friday to announce the introduction of the Antibullying Campaign Act of 2005, and to speak out on the need to protect young people from harassment in school. Students affected by bullying also spoke.
The issue of school bullying in New York City has received new attention with the passage of the Dignity for All Students Act in 2004, which required the City Council to override a mayoral veto. Nadler’s bill would act at the federal level to support many of DASA’s goals.
Specifically, the Antibullying Campaign Act would provide federal resources to study and document the problem of bullying and harassment in schools. The legislation would also set up a grant program under the Department of Education to assist states and municipalities in establishing and conducting anti-harassment programs.
