Bullied to Death: Tesia Samara; Extremists Oppose Anti-Bullying Laws

Watching Tesia Samara's story should remind us why Texans must demand that we protect all children from bullies, and why we must confront extremists who would deny kids like Tesia safe schools. 

Tesia was a transgender teen who lived in Rockdale, Texas. She was harassed and teased by classmates as she made her transition from male to female. The bullying culminated in an incident where two Rockdale High School football players reportedly assaulted and urinated on her. That day in November 2004, Tesia hung herself at home. 

According to Right Wing Watch, extremists at Focus on the Family warned of "activists who want to promote homosexuality in kids".  David Barton of the Aledo,Texas-based WallBuilders dismissed accounts of bullying and condemned alleged "homosexual indoctrination", and the Minnesota Family Council blamed the LGBT community for bullying by endorsing an "unhealthy lifestyle".

The simple fact is: the only people to blame for Tesia's death are the bullies who drove her to suicide.

The simple fact is: the only agenda to anti-bullying policy is to help ensure the safety of every student.  Every student.

Every student must be valued.
Every student must be safe.
Every student must be protected. 

Texans must rise above political ideology, dismiss the fanatics, and face the fact that Texas children continue to die for being perceived as different. 

Common sense solutions to address bullying can be found in Senate Bill 245. Last week, SB 245 was assigned to the Senate Education Committee. Senator Wendy Davis is the author of SB 245. This bill amends the Education Code to develop policies and programs to prevent bullying, including cyberbullying, provides for parental notification and the ability to transfer a bully to another classroom, and provides for broader accountability within school districts.

At this point, we cannot estimate when SB 245 will receive a committee hearing, especially with legislators working to solve a $27 billion budget deficit. However, you can help by contacting your State Senator and State Representative and asking them to support Senate Bill 245.

Click here for more information about SB 245.  On the EQTX website, you can track the progress of a number of bills that have been filed to bring more inclusive policies to Texans. Click here for our Daily Bill Tracking Report.  Finally, come to Austin on March 7th for Lobby Day and have face-to-face conversations with those elected to represent you. Click here for more information and to register for Lobby Day.

Posted by Andres Araiza
EQTX Communications Strategist 
Andres@equalitytexas.org 

Comments

[bullying at school]

Hi,

I agree with you that the only agenda to anti-bullying policy is to help ensure the safety of every student. Every student must be valued, must be safe, must be protected.

Thanks,