JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri lawmakers may set new standards for the way public schools craft their anti-bullying policies after the story of an attack on an autistic child by a bully in Liberty, Missouri, went viral.
In February, 12-year-old Blake Kitchen was badly beaten by a fellow student in his school’s cafeteria. Shortly after the attack, which left Kitchen unconscious and hospitalized for five days, family members said they alerted school officials about the bullying behavior of the student accused of the assault, and told reporters that the school didn’t do enough to stop the incident.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, who has a special needs child, took to the senate floor only days later in an uncharacteristically emotional plea for greater accountability for school officials and higher minimum standards for addressing bullying concerns.
Rep. Sue Allen is carrying the house version of Schmitt’s anti-bullying legislation. Allen’s bill specifically prohibits “lists of protected classes of students who are to receive special treatment” and instead establishes new specific steps for schools to take.
Under the bill, school officials will be required to report any bullying reported to them, as well as bullying they witness or have reasonable cause to suspect took place. Schools will need a written policy detailing the procedure for reporting and investigating bullying claims.
While the House is broadly in favor of the new standards, at least some members stood against the bill as being well intentioned, but ultimately creating new “protected classes.”
The bill’s specific prohibition of “protected classes” of students created at least some friction among Democrats, many of whom supported the bill, but wanted to give districts leeway to write policies aimed at specific bullying. In past years, the Senate has killed legislation allowing the creation of new protected classes in school districts. Members on both sides of the aisle held a tug-of-war over a handful of amendments inserting or deleting protected class language, which ultimately did not make it onto the bill.
Lawmakers in the House gave first-round approval to Allen’s HB 458 by a voice vote.
Collin Reischman was the Managing Editor for The Missouri Times, and a graduate of Webster University with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism.
