Students press senators to close loopholes in harassment policy, urging AOE action on H.130

Students testified to the Senate Education Committee on March 12 that schools often treat slurs and other incidents aimed at protected classes as ordinary 'bullying,' which can avoid mandatory harassment investigations. Witnesses urged senators to clarify and strengthen the Agency of Education’s (AOE) duties and the scope of the Hazing/Harassment (HH) council so that targeted incidents are properly investigated and addressed.

Alviser, a Colchester High School student, recounted repeated targeting and said school staff sometimes classified incidents as bullying rather than harassment to avoid investigations and paperwork. An advocate at the hearing explained that, under current practice described by witnesses, harassment need not be repeated and can be a single slur directed at a protected class, whereas bullying is typically repeated behavior intended to harm. The advocate named protected groups (including LGBT and disabled students) and urged the committee to ensure that AOE and the HH council meet statutory duties for investigation.

Committee members discussed recent workplace harassment law changes and questioned whether those protections or investigative practices differ for schools. Senators suggested that the committee could draft statutory language to require the AOE to investigate hazing, harassment, and bullying complaints and close enforcement gaps; no formal vote occurred that day.