Editorial: Senate should rethink anti-bullying vote

Few would disagree that rules against bullying are a good thing. Only when they have the potential to clash with a person’s right to free expression do they become a cause for concern.

Somehow on Tuesday, that reasonable distinction escaped the Illinois Senate. The House previously passed legislation that would require school administrators to let students report bullying anonymously and to create a plan for dealing with offenders. The measure also would ensure that schools keep records on bullying incidents.

But it failed in the Senate Tuesday by a single vote, apparently because of opponents who fear students may be accused of bullying for stating their religious beliefs or be forced to participate in counseling they find morally objectionable.

The issue doesn’t have to end there, however, and we urge the 24 senators who did not vote in favor to reconsider their position so leaders can call for a second attempt and the full Senate can pass this proposal on to the governor.

Supporters of the bill did not ignore free speech concerns and produced language to address them while adding a layer of protection for vulnerable children in a day when bullying has expanded from the schoolyard to electronic devices. Bullying is a genuine threat; studies continue to show victims are at risk not only of physical harm but also of problems with depression, anxiety and anger.

All these outcomes have emerged in recent stories about bullying incidents that made news in the suburbs. And they do not account for the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of incidents that go unreported every school year. Despite officials’ best efforts, bullying hasn’t gone away. Earlier this month, dozens of Hoffman Estates High School students wore T-shirts stating, “Stop bullying @ HEHS,” indicating students themselves are concerned about the problem.

But the Carol Stream-based Illinois Family Institute fears the law would silence certain students whose views might be unpopular. For instance, they say, a student who does nothing more than share his opinion that homosexuality is immoral could be labeled a bully and put through anti-bullying lessons that say his religion is wrong.

The group is correct that freedom of expression never should be taken for granted, and the right of students to assert their religious beliefs must always be protected. But this legislation not only protects such students from being falsely labeled as bullies; it also helps assure that they won’t be bullied themselves.

The anti-bullying proposal clearly states that the law is not meant to “infringe upon any right to exercise free expression or the free exercise of religion or religiously based views.” It contains no read-between-the-lines encroachment on any students’ freedoms. It simply provides another tool to prevent the hurt and even tragedy that vicious teasing and pranks can cause.

We urge the Senate to reconsider and for school officials to be vigilant in ensuring that both free speech and students’ well-being are protected.