An Alexandria lawmaker is proposing to expand Virginia’s anti-bullying law to include “harassment” and “intimidation” in the hopes of protecting some of the state’s most vulnerable students, an effort pushed by advocates of the mentally disabled.
David Englin, a Democrat, filed a bill this week as part of the early trickle of legislation leading up to the General Assembly’s 2009 session. It would broaden the scope of a law that now covers only bullying, and would spell out specific state education policy that would prevent a person from being singled out for having a disability, among other reasons.
“This is trying to really give some clarity, and really strengthen that statute so it applies to the kids who need it most,” Englin said. “Kids who, for whatever reason, whether it’s a disability or some other factors, are being singled out by their peers and not being treated with dignity and respect.”
Specific punishments for offending students would be left up to the school system, he said.
Englin said advocates for the intellectually disabled, including The Arc of Northern Virginia, asked him to propose the bill.
The Arc of Northern Virginia co-Executive Director Jill Egle said the proposal would put “teeth” into anti-bullying policies.
“People with disabilities understand how one incident of being bullied or made fun of can influence a person’s life or school experience regardless of his or her ability … and that is why we think it is time to have legislation that makes it ‘wrong’ to hurt others,” Egle said.
