| 1/22/2013 |
Gallo bill seeks to resolve school dance 'discrimination' issue
STATE HOUSE – When the Cranston school superintendent cancelled father-daughter, mother-son dances last year to comply with state gender discrimination laws, it sparked a controversy and eventually led to a call from the school committee for lawmakers to address the issue.
Legislation sponsored by Sen. Hanna M. Gallo (D-Dist. 27, Cranston, West Warwick) seeks to resolve the problem by amending state law to permit schools “to provide activities for students of one sex provided that reasonably comparable activities are provided for students of the other sex.”
The bill,(2013-S0012) , has been referred to the Senate Committee on Education, which Senator Gallo chairs. It is co-sponsored by Sen. Frank S. Lombardi (D-Dist. 26, Cranston), Sen. Erin P. Lynch (D-Dist. 31, Warwick, Cranston) and Sen. Daniel Da Ponte (D-Dist. 14, East Providence).
“I understand that the superintendent was acting out of an abundance of caution when he announced the cancellation of the dances,” said Senator Gallo. “I also understand the reaction of the parents of school children in the face of having a wonderful school tradition so abruptly cancelled.”
“Events such as these dances are important traditions and we should be able to ensure that they can continue to be held without schools or school administrators running afoul of the law,” said Senator Gallo. “I don’t believe the intent of these events was ever to be overtly discriminatory, but we all have to live with the language of the law. This bill, if approved and enacted, should ensure that these events can continue without weakening our resolve to oppose discriminatory activities.”
The Gallo legislation proposes to add language to existing state law (R.I.G.L. 16-38-1.1) regarding “discrimination because of sex” as it pertains to schools. The proposed new language will allow schools to “provide activities for students of one sex, including, but not limited to, father-daughter/mother-son activities, but if such activities are provided for students of one sex, opportunities for reasonably comparable activities shall be provided for students of the other sex.”
Senator Gallo said the reaction from the community, and elsewhere, that arose following the announcement of the dance cancellation “clearly shows how important these traditions are. This language will allow those traditions to continue without fear of violating the law.”
For more information, contact:
Randall T. Szyba, Publicist
State House Room 20
Providence, RI 02903
(401) 222-2457 |
LEGISLATIVE INFO
