State Rep. Patricia Smith, D-Baton Rouge, pulled the 2012 Louisiana School Bullying Prevention Act from consideration during Wednesday’s meeting of House Committee on Education after the committee voted, 10-5, to amend the legislation.
Members of campus LGBT organization Spectrum attended the hearing wearing purple ribbons to support the legislation.
 
The legislation articulates a definition of bullying and presents a list of specific characteristics that can motivate bullying, including developmental disabilities, gender identity and national origin.
Smith and Jennifer Curry, who represented the Louisiana School Counselor Association, presented the legislation to the House Committee on Education.
Rep. Christopher Broadwater, R-Hammond, who sits on the committee, said he didn’t want to pass the legislation just to pass legislation. He said he wanted to work with Smith and Curry to create an incentive for local districts to take the 2012 Louisiana School Bullying Prevention Act seriously.
A similar bill passed through the committee last year but was unsuccessful on the House floor.
Rep. John Edwards, D-Amite, who also sits on the committee, said he didn’t support the similar legislation last year but changed his position after seeing the new enumerated list because he has a disabled child.
Edwards praised the list because he said it was non-exclusive and gave teachers better guidelines to distinguish bullying from teasing.
A number of people spoke on behalf of the legislation.
Joyce Haynes, Louisiana Association of Educators president, referenced her former student, 17-year-old Tesa Middlebrook, who committed suicide in March after being bullied.
Haynes said the 2012 Louisiana School Bullying Prevention Act could prevent tragedies like Middlebrook’s death from happening again.
Religious leaders, including pastors and priests, also spoke on behalf of the legislation.
Russell Armstrong, policy adviser in the Governor’s Office, told the committee that Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration doesn’t support the 2012 Louisiana School Bullying Prevention Act because they believe Louisiana’s current measures to stop bullying were adequate.
Armstrong said the administration is willing to identify and reform problems with current laws.
Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Bossier City, proposed amendments to the legislation that included removing the list. Thompson said the enumerated list should be removed because it detailed motives, not actions.
Smith said she decided to pull the legislation because the amendments “gutted” it.
She said it was frustrating because committee members who originally supported the legislation shouldn’t have supported the amendments.
“[I] saw the amendments coming when all the Republicans were leaving the hearing,” Smith said.
 
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Contact Marylee Williams at [email protected]