TN Bill Would Give Anti-Bullying Laws A ‘Religious And Political Beliefs’ Loophole
In other words, bullying is okay if you’re doing it for religious or political reasons.
From TPM:
A proposed bill in Tennessee would create a loophole in the state’s anti-bullying laws to protect those expressing religious, philosophical or political beliefs, which one proponent says would ensure that people can still express their ‘views on homosexuality.’
The proposed bill would amend the state’s current anti-bullying laws to specify that the anti-bully policy should ‘not be construed or interpreted to infringe upon the First Amendment rights of students and shall not prohibit their expression of religious, philosophical, or political views’ as long as there’s no physical threat or threat to another student’s property.
David Fowler, a former Republican state Senator and current Christian activist, is pushing for the legislature to take up the bill in the new year after it stalled before the end of the last session. According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Fowler sent out a newsletter for his group the Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT) in December that said he wants ‘to make sure [the law] protects the religious liberty and free speech rights of students who want to express their views on homosexuality.’
