A bill to expand anti-discrimination protections in Washington’s public schools was heard in the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
Senate Bill 5123, sponsored by Sen. T’wina Nobles (D-Fircrest), updates state law to explicitly include protections for students based on immigration status, neurodivergence, ethnicity, and homelessness. It also distinguishes between sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression — categories currently grouped together in the statute.
“Our schools must be safe spaces for everyone,” Nobles said. “This legislation ensures our laws better reflect the diverse experiences of today’s students and provide clear protections to prevent discrimination.”
Originally enacted in 2010, the existing law does not reflect more recent understandings of identity or the diverse experiences of students. The changes aim to address these gaps and provide clearer definitions to improve enforcement of anti-discrimination protections.
Follow the bill’s progress here.
“Safe spaces for everyone”…unless you happen to disagree with their policies. Then you’ll lose your livelihood and perhaps be thrown in to jail.
Well said, John. ‘Or they kick you off the school board.
Children can only thrive, develop social skills, and self esteem when they are safe and valued. Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and respect, but children are quite vulnerable and need appropriate support. To ignore their needs is an ethical deficit and frankly abuse.
If someone claims they lost their livelihood, went to jail or got removed from a school board for disparagement or mistreatment of a child then they are the problem.