Source+6

http://www.hrc.org/laws_and_elections/12142.htm


 * Bullying and harassment of students who are, or are perceived to be, lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) is widespread.
 * While current federal law provides important support to promote school safety, it does not comprehensively and expressly focus on issues of bullying or harassment, and in no way addresses the unique challenges faced by LGBT youth.
 * Studies have shown that bullying and harassment of LGBT youth in schools contributes to high rates of absenteeism, dropout, adverse health consequences and academic underachievement.
 * “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) — the law prohibiting lesbians and gays from serving openly in the military — is on its way to the dustbin of history.
 * Students who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) are subject to pervasive discrimination, including harassment, bullying, intimidation and violence, and have been deprived of equal educational opportunities, in schools in every part of our nation.
 * Federal statutory protections expressly address discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex and disability.
 * Unfortunately, federal civil rights laws do not expressly protect students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
 * In addition, the SNDA prevents discrimination against any public school student because of the actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of a person with whom a student associates or has associated.
 * Discrimination includes, but is not limited to, exclusion from or denial of access to any program or activity that receives federal financial assistance.
 * Discrimination also includes harassment of a student.
 * Numerous social science studies demonstrate that discrimination at school has contributed to high rates of absenteeism, dropout, adverse health consequences and academic under achievement among LGBT youth.
 * Retaliation based on an individual’s opposition to conduct made unlawful by the SNDA is also prohibited by the Act
 * North Carolina law prohibits bullying or harassing behavior by school employees or other students that is reasonably perceived as being motivated by a student’s actual or perceived gender identity.
 * North Carolina law prohibits bullying or harassing behavior by school employees or other students that is reasonably perceived as being motivated motivated by a student’s actual or perceived sexual orientation.
 * No provision of North Carolina law addresses discrimination based on sexual orientation. North Carolina non-discrimination laws address race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex or handicap.