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Student Safety Act Brochure

Imagine waking up every day afraid to go to school. LGBT students continue to face relentless anti-gay attacks in Florida schools. Equality Florida is working to pass a statewide safe schools law that bans harassment and provides mandatory training for every Florida teacher on how to identify and stop harassment when it occurs.

GOAL

Equality Florida’s seeks to provide an effective remedy to the problem of bullying and harassment in Florida schools.

BACKGROUND

In schools all over Florida, students are subjected to bias-based harassment – that’s harassment due to racism, sexism, homophobia, or because of some other characteristic of the student.

Some county school boards have enacted safe school policies; others have not.  In many parts of Florida, students are not protected at all.

Through Equality Florida, student and adult advocates have been working in the Florida Legislature to pass a uniform, statewide bill since 2001.  A Safe Schools bill has been introduced in both houses every yearsince 2002.

During the most recent legislative session, the Safe Schools bill achieved strong bi-partisan support in the legislature and received a first ever hearing in the Florida Senate Education Committee.

Equality Florida supports legislation that contains three crucial elements:

  • Prohibits biased-based harassment and violence.
  • Trains administrators and teachers to effectively intervene when incidents arise.
  • Regularly survey the school climate around Florida to discover where needs are most profound.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

  • Talk to your state lawmaker by setting up an “in-district” visit. By Using the talking points above and sharing your personal stories, you can make a huge difference in the lives of Florida students
  • Participate in Equality Florida’s annual Safe Schools Lobby Day. Come to Tallahassee during legislative session and join with a group of individuals from your area to meet your lawmakers and ask them to support Student Safety.
  • Join Equality Florida. Our work is not possible without the financial support of people like you who care about the lives of Florida’s most vulnerable citizens - our children.

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Equality Florida, 3150 5th Ave North, Suite 325, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 | Phone: 813-870-EQFL(3735), Fax: 727-490-0965

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