News (USA)

GOP House committee blocks LGBT protections in education reform bill

GOP House committee blocks LGBT protections in education reform bill

WASHINGTON — A U.S. House committee on Wednesday blocked two measures that would have provided protections for LGBT students as part of an education reform bill.

U.S. Capitol
U.S. Capitol

The Washington Blade reports that during a committee markup of the Student Success Act, the Education & the Workforce Committee voted on a strictly party-line vote to table a proposal by openly gay lawmaker, Rep. Jared Polis (D-Colo.) to offer the Student Non-Discrimination Act as an amendment.

Modeled after Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Student Non-Discrimination Act would prohibit public schools from discriminating against any student based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Committee was amending H.R. 5, the Student Success Act, which would reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), our nation’s primary K-12 education law.

A later amendment was also offered that included the Safe Schools Improvement Act, which would require school districts that receive ESEA funds to adopt codes of conduct specifically prohibiting bullying and harassment, including on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.

The GOP committee members also defeated this amendment on a party-line vote.

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