Anti-Homophobic Harassment Policy
Policy change meant to address homophobia concerns
KAMLOOPS - Nearly two years after teacher Don Wilson asked the school district to consider an anti-homophobic harassment policy the district appears ready to act, but not exactly what Wilson was looking for. The district is preparing to replace a section of the policy entitled ‘Race Relations’ with ‘Anti-Discrimination and Human Rights.’ The policy, while...
Kamloops school administration clueless about homophobia
"IF HE DIDN'T ACT SO GAY, THERE WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM" Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students have been bullied and even assaulted in Kamloops schools and school administration does not know how to deal with it, according to a local teachers' association. Now local teachers are fighting back and looking to protect their students...
Shock over school homophobic harassment, district response
A Kamloops mother of a bisexual teen says she is upset at how school administrators reacted—or didn't react—to a homophobic assault at South Kamloops secondary school last year. “I'm shocked, disappointed really," she says, though wishing to remain anonymous. "I thought Kamloops was more open than that.” She is not the only person to react...
Students add voice to push for policy on homophobia
Students from South Kamloops Secondary are speaking out in support of a teacher request to have the school district create an anti-homophobia harassment policy. A student petition asking the school district to support the development of a policy addressing homophobia began circulating at the school earlier this month and will be presented to the district...
Student petition to be part on consultation process
KAMLOOPS - The superintendent is recommending a student petition in support of an anti-homophobia policy presented to School District 73 at the beginning of June to be included in the consultation process this fall. At the end of April the Kamloops Thompson Teachers Association presented a report to the board of education outlining the need...
Schools surveyed on homophobic harassment
KAMLOOPS – Principals, parent advisory councils, CUPE, the local teachers' association and a group of secondary students have all been invited to take part in a survey centered around whether an anti-homophobic harassment policy is needed in the district. The Kamloops Thompson Teachers Association asked School District 73 to consider a policy specific to homophobic...
Not a lot of concern over homophobic bullying
KAMLOOPS – Preliminary reviews of the recent district survey assessing the need for a discreet homophobic harrassment policy shows support for the current bullying protocol. School District 73 trustee and committee chair Gerald Watson says he isn't really surprised by the answers that came back to the eight survey questions sent out to the school...
No new policy for homophobic harassment
CURRENT BULLYING POLICY UNDER REVIEW KAMLOOPS — A new policy covering homophobic harassment in schools is not needed. That's the decision the school district came to after nearly nine months of reviews, consultations, a petition and finally a survey of students, staff and parental groups. The issue was raised last spring when the Kamloops Thompson...
District bullying policy to get slight update
KAMLOOPS - Just over a year ago the teachers’ association began a push for an anti-homophobic harassment specific policy and this month the district will instead update the current bullying policy. The Kamloops-Thompson Teachers’ Association brought forward a request for a discrete anti-homophobic harassment policy last spring, with one teacher saying he felt administration had...
Grade 11 student continues push for anti-homophobia policy
AIMS FOR SCHOOL-LEVEL POLICY IN WAKE OF BOARD REFUSAL KAMLOOPS - After months of discussion, the Kamloops-Thompson school board turned down a request to have a dedicated policy dealing with homophobic harassment, but one student is refusing to take no for an answer and is now pushing to get a policy put in place at...