This Bill Will Hurt Disabled Students

Our district is sending out mass emails to their patrons trying to convince them that this bill should be passed.  It is not in the best interest of students for this bill to become law. 

Section 213.065 RSMO of the Missouri Human Rights Act that since April of 2012 has been used to protect children in schools. In the Doe Subia v. the Kansas City Missouri School District case on Appeal, the courts determined that Schools are Places of Public Accommodations and that just as adults are protected from sexual harassment in the workplace (and all other protected categories listed in the MHRA) so are children protected in schools.

HB 1019 has been promoted as an Employment Discrimination Bill but that is only part of the application of that law. This law protects disabled students too, who are bullied at a 50% higher rate than non-disabled children. After reading this research and article below it seems very unfair that disabled students, who are already at a distinct disadvantage, be further harmed physically and mentally by bullying. All students deserve a safe learning environment free of bullying. In the article it does not discuss the even more devastating impact of the bullying of children by teachers, administrators and other school personnel.  We need to protect our children and the change to the MHRA that I would like to suggest is to add Schools as a Place of Public Accommodations to the list of places covered by the law, to reflect the changing landscape of the current application of the MHRA and not vote to weaken this important law to please Businesses.

http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567%2811%2900168-7/abstract?cc=y

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