Tag Archives: House Bill 1461

At the Capitol

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Thanks to the BA Ledger for a well written article, linked below! Yesterday was a fantastic rally and I was thrilled to be able to share that at some point in time, we have all experienced being a bully, victim or bystander. Victims typically bully others after they have been attacked and with the students, lawmakers and educators who united yesterday, I believe awareness of bullying has been heightened. Now it is important to continue the momentum in order to make our voices and actions count against relational aggression.

At the Capitol: Anti-bullying advocates rally in Senate chamber.

OKLAHOMA CITY – More than 1,000 anti-bullying advocates came out today in support of legislation that would address school bullying and cyberbullying.

            The ensemble of students, organizations and families advocating for House Bill 1461 met in the Senate Chamber, where testimonials were given by numerous individuals on the effects of bullying. The group included the parent teacher associations from around the state, the NAACP Youth Council, Top Teens of America, and Emerging Young Leaders of Alpha Kappa Alpha. The event was facilitated by Kirk Smalley, who is the father of the deceased 11-year-old victim of cyberbullying Ty Field, and coordinated by state Rep. Anastasia A. Pittman.

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            Smalley emphasized that the day was for those students in attendance who had been bullied to share their story. Pittman’s daughter, Ayshia, who is the 2nd Vice President of the Top Teens of America, gave the purpose of her national organization and how a local chapter has taken on bullying as a serious issue that needs to be addressed.

            Pittman said the rally gave students a chance to feel heard.

“Today is a wake up call to Oklahoma legislators that students are not only standing up for the silent, but they are also learning the process and the value of representative democracy,” Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, said. “We saved the lives of thousands of students across Oklahoma today by allowing them to feel like the bullying they face is being addressed. They should not have to balance threats and peer pressure to the point that they feel invisible or worthless.”

            House Bill 1461, by state Rep. Lee Denney, adds cyberbullying to current state laws that specify how schools should address bullying behavior. The legislation also adds law enforcement to the list of groups that should be involved in coming up with a school’s anti-bullying policy.

            “Oklahoma, we’ve got to do better,” Denney, R-Cushing, said. “Representative Pittman and I stand in solidarity that we need tougher laws to protect our children.”

            Steve Hahn, program coordinator for Family and Children Services, said the bill gives school administrators additional tools to combat bullying.

            “It gives schools and administrators and teachers some real depth in what they can do in pursuing cyberbullying either in or out of school, either inside or outside of school hours,” Hahn said. “With many of the administrators I’ve spoken to in the Northeast side of the state, it’s one of the No. 1 issues they’re facing today, cyberbullying and how it makes its way back into the classroom and how it really disrupts the school day.”

            State Sen. Sean Burrage recently received a constituent request to address the bullying of a child with Asperger’s syndrome who attends the same school as Truman Burrage, his son. Jared Henderson said because of his condition, he has received constant bullying.

            “People were calling me names and punching me, the worst one was ‘I wish you weren’t alive,’” Henderson said.

            Wayne Reid is the grandfather of a Millwood High School student who was bullied by adults through anonymous accounts on a website.

            “There’s a website called ok.coachesaid.com that allow adults to cyberbully,” Reid said. “We can’t have adults starting to say things like this to a 15-year-old child in any arena. I brought this to Representative Pittman to talk about this and bring it to light.”

            Miss Sooner State Britin Mills also shared her story.

            “I have been a victim and I have also been a bully,” Mills said. “I have had chairs pulled out from under me, I was made fun of for teen acne, I was crushed to the point that I had to switch schools and dance studios, but it didn’t end there. I lost all my self-confidence and I did not gain it back until I found a place to work against relational aggression and that was within the Miss American organization. Today’s youth speak out has been amazing.”

            Pittman was the author of a separate bill that would also address school bullying and cyberbullying. House Bill 1976 was known as the “Ty Field School Bullying Prevention Act.” She said it was important that House Bill 1461 include Ty Field’s name, as his father is a central part of the anti-bullying movement.

            “We are getting real momentum in the state and adding Ty Field’s name to the bill will help us continue to build momentum,” Pittman said. “We had this rally today to ensure that the voices of our youth are heard in making the request to Senator Halligan to add the name of Ty Field back on the bill.”

Former state Sen. Angela Monson, who currently chairs the Oklahoma City school board said bullying is an important issue to address.

“Today’s events are extraordinarily important to draw attention to a very significant issue in our communities,” Monson said. “It affects our families, it affects our entire communities, but most importantly it affects the lives of those individuals who are bullied.”