Antibullying bill may lose punch
Backers say vital sections dropped
Proponents of an antibullying bill set to be debated in the state House of Representatives today say last-minute changes, made in the House Ways and Means Committee, have removed the heart of the legislation, stripping it of its most vital protections.
According to critics of the move, who said they discovered the revisions yesterday, the bill reworked in recent days by the House committee does not include a key paragraph mandating that school staff members report bullying to the principal and that the principal investigate promptly, call in law enforcement when needed, take appropriate disciplinary action, and notify parents.
The paragraph was included in the version passed by the state Senate last week.
“To me, this is the meat of the law, a tool for parents to hold schools accountable and ensure their kids’ safety, and without it, it’s essentially the status quo, where some schools can do the right thing and others can opt out,’’ said Robert Trestan, civil rights counsel for the Anti-Defamation League’s Northeast region and a leader of efforts to pass the new law.
“Anyone who cares deeply about bullying will be hard pressed to support this version,’’ he said.
Leaders of the House committee did not respond to phone calls and e-mails about the changes late yesterday. Many legislators took the day off in observance of Evacuation Day, the controversial Suffolk County holiday.
Proponents of the bill say they are also troubled by another change, first adopted in the Senate, that makes antibullying education for teachers optional. Yesterday, they were scrambling to find sponsors for amendments to reverse both changes.
“We believe the leaders want a good bill, but they might not realize how this undercuts any real solution,’’ said Arline Isaacson, cochairwoman of the Massachusetts Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus.
Jenna Russell can be reached at jrussell@globe.com. 
