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Human Rights Commission warns of rising school harassment cases, asks legislature for resources and statutory fixes
Summary
The Vermont Human Rights Commission told the House Education Committee that school discrimination complaints are increasing in severity and frequency, outlined investigative findings and urged the legislature to expand prevention efforts, clarify FERPA disclosures and fund additional staff.
Begg Hartman, executive director and general counsel of the Vermont Human Rights Commission, told the House Education Committee on Jan. 29 that the commission has seen an increase in serious school-based discrimination and harassment complaints and is asking the Legislature for resources and statutory changes to address the problem.
"It is state policy that all students are to be free of discrimination and harassment in Vermont schools," Hartman told the committee, outlining HRC's role enforcing state civil-rights law where federal enforcement has pulled back. Hartman said the commission prioritizes school enforcement but has limited staff: four full-time investigator-attorneys handle an expanding docket of school cases.
Hartman said the HRC completed 13 school investigations in the last four years, nine of which included harassment allegations, and that investigators found reasonable grounds to believe discrimination occurred in nine of…
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