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Testimony Continued…

 Two representatives of Girls, Inc. step up to testify in support of HB 2599.   Annette Klinefelter works with educators and parents across the country to end bullying of girls in primary and secondary schools.  She says that bullying laws often leave girls behind, because they don’t speak to psychological wellbeing or relational aggression.

One young woman from Girls, Inc. hopes that schools will utilize resources from organizations that represent students who are targets of bullying.

Next up: a representative of FACT, a coalition for youth with disabilities.  She tells the story of two students with Asperger’s Syndrome, both of whom were harassed relentlessly in school.  One such student was found dead in the family car.  “To this day,” she says, “his family does not know if this was simply a tragic accident, or suicide that resulted from years of bullying.”

Finally, on this panel, Laurie Wimmer of the Oregon Education Association.  She speaks to address some of the questions the representatives had regarding the implementation of the bill and accountability.    She points to a section of the bill that outlines how school districts are bound to follow policies that are passed thorugh the legislature and that they are monitored closely.

She also speaks to the reduction of bullying when these types of policies are in place.  Students also feel safer in schools when these types of policies are in place and allows them to participate fully in their education.