Bullying Law: A Lot of Bull

A law has been passed by the Michigan senate that supposedly prohibits bullying but allows students to keep their First Amendment rights to free speech and expression of religious or moral viewpoints. Meaning? The law doesn't really protect Michigan students from bullying at all.

"I am ashamed that this could be Michigan's bill on anti-bullying when in fact it is a 'bullying is OK in Michigan' law," Kevin Eppling, whose son Matt committed suicide in 2002 after being bullied and for whom the bill is named, told the Detroit News.

State Democrats attempted to have categories including sexual orientation, religion, gender, and race added to the bill as off-limits topics for bullying, but failed. The bill's Republican sponsor was quoted as saying that the bill was meant to get each school district to create its own anti-bullying rules.

A spokesperson for the governor, Rick Snyder, told the paper that he supports the law and the promise "to provide a safe environment for all students," however it's unclear how safe the new legislation will really make anyone.