Cassidy Playing Tough with Bullying Legislation

 CHICAGO – State Representative Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) advanced legislation to curb school bullying.

 “Schools should be temples of learning, not prisons of fear.  When one child bullies another, there are ripple effects that are rarely seen.  In addition to the child who is bullied, other students in the classroom and even the bullies themselves are affected,” Cassidy said.  “Bullying has been shown to significantly decrease test scores of the entire class room.  Ending bullying will improve our entire education system.”

House Bill 5290 expands the protected categories for bullying to include socio economic status, academic status, pregnancy, parental situation, and homelessness. The new measure would also provide a model bullying policy for use by school districts across the state to ensure that students and parents know that their concerns will be taken seriously.

“It is absolutely critical that solutions address bullying victims as well as bullies, who are likely to have future problems with the law if their behavior is not addressed,” Cassidy said. “This comprehensive proposal gets straight to the heart of the issues facing children in classrooms around the state.” 

For more information, please contact Rep. Cassidy’s office at (773)784-2002 or by email at RepCassidy@gmail.com

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