I strongly oppose HB 53. As a retired public-school educator and a current school board member, I am troubled by the shift of discipline decisions away from conduct-based judgment and local discretion and toward identity-based definitions, mandatory processes, and state-controlled reporting systems. If enacted, the board would remain fully accountable for school safety and outcomes but with less authority and more compliance obligations.
I am especially concerned about redefining the definition of bullying and trying to objectively determine what qualifies as a “power imbalance.” This could shift discipline analysis from what happened to who a student is perceived to be, increasing subjectivity and making consistent enforcement more difficult. I foresee a resultant surge of complaints and appeals, along with increased claims of unequal discipline or viewpoint discrimination, with fewer clear standards to stand on.
I strongly oppose HB 53. As a retired public-school educator and a current school board member, I am troubled by the shift of discipline decisions away from conduct-based judgment and local discretion and toward identity-based definitions, mandatory processes, and state-controlled reporting systems. If enacted, the board would remain fully accountable for school safety and outcomes but with less authority and more compliance obligations. I am especially concerned about redefining the definition of bullying and trying to objectively determine what qualifies as a “power imbalance.” This could shift discipline analysis from what happened to who a student is perceived to be, increasing subjectivity and making consistent enforcement more difficult. I foresee a resultant surge of complaints and appeals, along with increased claims of unequal discipline or viewpoint discrimination, with fewer clear standards to stand on.