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“This doesn't preclude discussion and conversation that’s going to happen. He added that schools could still have lessons on Pride Month and events such as the 2016 Pulse nightclub massacre in which a gunman killed 49 people in Orlando. He maintained that it would not silence spontaneous discussions but instead stop a district from integrating such topics into the curriculum. Harding repeatedly said his bill is meant to give parents more control over what their children learn. Joe Harding with questions about whether kids would be able to talk freely about LGBTQ people or history. In a committee hearing last week, Democrats peppered bill sponsor Rep. It is unclear how the state will deal with cases where outing leads to abuse.As written, the proposal states that school districts "may not encourage classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” A parent could sue a district for violations. The amendments, as filed, do not discuss how mandatory disclosure would affect mandatory abuse reporting by school personnel. Requiring schools to report sexual orientation to parents may not always lead to abuse, individual actions of parents and families are unpredictable and are typically a case-by-case situation. It bears mentioning that the state of Florida makes it mandatory for teachers and other school personnel to report cases of abuse to the Florida Department of Children and Family Services. The amendment instructs revision by replacing the relevant section with protocol for how school leaders can “develop a plan, using all available governmental resources,” to tell parents their child’s sexual orientation “through an open dialogue in a safe, supportive, and judgment-free environment that respects the parent-child relationship and protects the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the student.”Īs written, the amendment does not specify how the mental, emotional, and physical well-being of the student would be protected, in cases where previously the proposed bill had found it possible for them to experience abuse, neglect, or abandonment as a result of their LGBTQ+ status being known by their family. However, it left an option for exemption from disclosure, or “outing” as it’s known, for cases where there was a suspicion of the information leading to abuse, neglect or abandonment.īased on the amendment’s instruction, that safety mechanism would be removed. In the originally filed version, the bill already required schools to inform families of their child’s LBTQ+ status, should the student inform a teacher, counselor or other school personnel. 20, though there was heated debate between supporters and opponents among the lawmakers gathered for the hearing. 11, its first committee vote passed on Jan. Harding originally proposed the legislation, House Bill 1557, on Jan. Preschool closes, apologizes after blackface activity