Bully for you, Republicans!

Matt Epling was just 14 years old when he killed himself in 2002.

He was on the honor roll at his middle school. His fellow eighth graders voted his smile and personality the best and decided he was most likely to become an actor. He was into writing, poetry, art and drama, had a great sense of humor and enjoyed the outdoors.

Matt Epling

On his last day of eighth grade, Matt was assaulted by upperclassmen as part of a "Welcome to High School" hazing. Officials did nothing, and a little over a month after the attack – the night before Matt’s parents were going to the police to press charges – Matt committed suicide.

Sadly, this wasn’t an isolated incident. Thirty-two percent of middle and high school students say they have been bullied during the school year. Twenty-one percent say they were made fun of; 18 percent said they were the subject of rumors; 11 percent say they were pushed, shoved, tripped or spit on; six percent say they were threatened; and five percent say they were intentionally excluded from activities.

If you think bullying is no big deal, just something that toughens a kid up, think again. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, bullying adversely affects children's mental health, academic success and ability to relate to other kids, and has lasting emotional consequences.

Because I have four sensitive, school-aged children and Michigan is one of three states that have not enacted anti-bullying legislation, I’ve been following this issue. And yesterday, I found myself disgusted yet again by Republican politicians.

The GOP-controlled State Senate passed Senate Bill 137 by a vote of 26-11. (Every Democrat opposed it.) The legislation, known as “Matt's Safe School Law,” includes the following language: “This section does not prohibit a statement of a sincerely held religious belief or moral conviction of a school employee, school volunteer, pupil, or a pupil’s parent or guardian.”

I’m no expert, but it seems to me that these 29 words represent a permission slip, a crater-sized loophole that any anti-gay or anti-whatever individual can use to freely harass anyone they don’t like.

Kevin Epling, Matt’s father, told Senate Republicans, "I am ashamed that this could be Michigan's bill on anti-bullying when in fact it is a 'bullying is okay in Michigan law.’”

Nathan Triplett, an East Lansing city councilman who works for a state lawmaker, said, “This is the gutted version of anti-bullying legislation that has been debated in Michigan for over a decade. The bill is nothing more than window dressing. It won't make one student in Michigan safer. Students deserve better than this.”

Senator Whitmer

Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer of East Lansing, an attorney who spent six years in the Michigan House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 2006, was incensed. She passionately explained her “no” vote this way:

"I personally have had some pretty hard days here in the Senate in this term. Whether it was what happened to the School Aid Fund or raising pension taxes or the continued assault on the middle class, I think this is my lowest point personally. Because here today you’re claiming to be protecting kids and you’re actually putting them in more danger...You may be able to pat yourselves on the back today and say that you did something. But in actuality you’re explicitly outlining how to get away with bullying...As passed today, bullying kids is okay if a student, parent, teacher or school employee can come up with a moral or religious reason for doing it.

But bullying is not okay. We should be passing public policy that protects kids. All kids. From bullies. All bullies. But instead you’ve set us back farther, creating a blueprint for bullying. So this might solve a political problem that the Republicans have, but be clear. You are papering over the problem that is a reality faced by hundreds of kids in Michigan schools every day. In fact, not only does this not protect kids who are bullied, it further endangers them by legitimizing excuses for tormenting a student. And the saddest and sickest irony of this whole thing is that it’s called ‘Matt’s Safe School Law.’ And after the way that you’ve gutted it, it wouldn’t have done a damn thing to save Matt. This is worse than doing nothing. It’s a Republican license to bully."

The legislation now goes to the GOP-controlled House of Representatives. Given the tendency of today’s Republicans to do the exact opposite of what’s in the best interest of their constituents, I expect state representatives to concur with their senate cronies. I hope I’m wrong.

Get legislative contact information here:

Michigan State Senate

Michigan State House of Representatives

Sources: Detroit News, National Center for Education Statistics, MattEpling.com, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.