Minnesota’s bullying prevention law had long been considered one of the country’s weakest. Now, it’s one of the strongest.

After more than a decade of tireless work and countless battles over the details of the proposed bill — at 12:20 am on Wednesday, April 9, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Safe & Supportive Minnesota Schools Act by a vote of 69 to 63, following almost 12 hours of debate by Republicans. At 4:00 pm that afternoon, Governor Mark Dayton signed the bill into law on the steps of the Capitol in front of hundreds of supporters.

The outdoor ceremony was attended by students who have been victims of bullying, and scores of LGBT community members and allies who have long championed the bill.

Among the crowd was Federation member OutFront Minnesota and their Minnesota Safe Schools for All coalition partners, a group of 140+ education, disability, youth, religious, LGBT and social service organizations who worked for years to ensure safety and protection for all Minnesota students.

This historic win is the culmination of years of hard work. Monica Meyer, OutFront executive director and one of the founding members of the coalition, first talked about a bullying prevention bill with bill author Senator Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) more than 10 years ago. Monica reflects on the bill’s passage after so many years of work:

“Winning marriage equality last year was a huge milestone. And now, passing the Safe Schools bill, we are one step closer to LGBT equality. The new law will reduce bullying and allow students to spend their day learning, making friends and being inspired about their future.”

Like most victories, this win didn’t come without its challenges. The law faced considerable opposition from anti-gay and conservative groups, as well as Republican members of the House, some of whom made an array of inflammatory comments during debate. Representatives compared the legislation to a fictional dystopian society, to Hitler, and to fascism. Rep. Gruenhagen went so far as to call for corporal punishment in schools in order to prevent bullying!

But even with this opposition, the passionate support and steadfast leadership from legislators — especially bill co-authors Senator Dibble and Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Minneapolis) — was enough to secure passage of this necessary legislation.

Sen. Dibble reflected on the critical impact of the new law:

“After today in Minnesota, no child will feel unsafe, unwelcome or unloved in their own school. Today we show that Minnesota is better than that."

According to Rep. Davnie, Minnesota's success hinges on the success of Minnesota's kids:

"The bullying often doesn't happen in front of teachers—instead it happens in the playground, on the bus, in the hallway and in the cafeteria. Training all school staff is a key to prevent bullying and to build school climates that are safe and supportive for all students."

Sen. Dibble, Rep. Davnie, and the majority of Minnesota’s lawmakers were moved by the stories and testimony of students like Jake Ross, an 11-year-old from Forest Lake. During Governor Dayton’s signing ceremony, Jake told the crowd of his experience in elementary school, where as a 7-year-old, he said, he was threatened, attacked, laughed at and abused by bullies who even threatened to kill him.

“Today marks the beginning of a change in thinking about bullying,” Jake said. “I am very happy for this day.”

With the Safe & Supportive Minnesota Schools Act, Minnesota became the 16th state, along with Washington, D.C., to enact LGBT-inclusive bullying prevention legislation. The new bill:

• Provides a more comprehensive definition of bullying, cyber-bullying, prohibited conduct and intimidation — all to specifically include protections for LGBT students and other vulnerable young people.
• Sets minimum standards for local school district bullying prevention policies.
• Requires that all adults who interact with kids complete training on how to create safe and supportive learning environments.
• Creates the School Safety Technical Assistance Center to provide support to struggling school districts.
• Shifts from a zero tolerance approach that mandates suspension or expulsion of students to a restorative approach that focuses on repairing harm and preventing re-occurrences.

This comprehensive and progressive law to prevent bullying and build safe and welcoming schools has its roots in the model policy created by our partners at the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), who proudly served as a member of the Minnesota Safe Schools for All Coalition. This legislation is a shining example for the nation of how to create safe and supportive educational environments.

At the Equality Federation, we’re proud to have supported work to advance this model legislation. In partnership with GSA Network, the Federation has been working to build bridges between state equality groups, youth advocacy groups such as GSAs and education justice partners to create a safe and just climate for all students to learn and succeed. We’re celebrating this historic win, alongside the team at OutFront and all the coalition partners who made it possible.