Bill > H0615

This bill aims to protect political expression and promote civil rights in Vermont schools by requiring the Agency of Education to develop and issue guidance and training for school districts to help them distinguish between protected political speech and unlawful harassment of protected groups, ensuring that civil rights enforcement aligns with constitutional standards and considering factors like the context and intent of speech, the difference between targeted harassment and general critique, and the risk of chilling student expression. Additionally, the bill expands the membership of the Harassment, Hazing, and Bullying Prevention Advisory Council to include a more diverse range of stakeholders, such as civil liberties experts, community leaders from Jewish and Palestinian communities, educators, administrators, and legal scholars specializing in First Amendment law and anti-discrimination. Finally, the Agency of Education will develop a curriculum for public elementary and secondary schools to teach students about their First Amendment rights and Chapter I, Article 13 of the Vermont Constitution, providing them with age-appropriate knowledge to understand the protections of free speech and differentiate it from bias-based harassment like antisemitism and Islamophobia.

Education

https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2026/H.615