Bullying and Civil Rights
Bullying can be hard for children to deal with and for adults to get a handle on. However, if your school fails to respond to bullying, then the bullying can infringe on your child’s civil rights.
Children are protected by federal civil rights laws, which means that your child should not lose out on opportunities because of their membership in a protected class, such as,
- Disability
- Gender
- Gender Identity
- Sexual Orientation
- Religion
- Ethnicity
- Race
- National Origin
Schools, as organizations that accept federal money, are legally required to uphold all civil rights laws.
For more information on federal civil rights laws and bullying, click here!
What do Civil Rights have to do with Bullying?
If the bullying is creating a hostile learning environment and is based on a child belonging to one of the protected classes listed above, then the school is legally required to take action to prevent the bullying.
These actions can include
- Counseling Services for bullies and victims
- Imposing and enforcing rules on cyberbullying
- Efforts to change school culture
- Having and executing clear policies on bullying in the student handbook
- Other reasonable actions
If the school fails to respond to the bullying or even makes it worse then they are not giving all students equal access to education and violating civil rights laws.
What Can I do?
If your child is being bullied and the school is not taking action to alleviate the situation then they might be violating federal civil rights laws.
Make sure to download our free checklist for signs of discrimination.
Additionally, we recommend that you take notes during all calls and meetings with school officials, as well as saving digital or hard copies of all communication you have with teachers and school staff.
Make sure to call us at Cueto Law at 618-277-1554 for a free consultation to discuss your specific circumstances.
