California lawmaker proposes anti-bullying law named for gay suicide victim

An openly gay California state Assemblyman is proposing a new anti-bullying law design to reduce bullying of LGBT teens. The bill is named in honor of Seth Walsh, a 13-year-old gay teen who committed suicide last year.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports:

California school districts would have to increase anti-bullying efforts under a bill introduced Monday.

The measure by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, would require districts to create anti-harassment policies and programs that include bullying based on perceived or actual sexual orientation.

They would also be required to have a system in place to ensure all reports of bullying are taken seriously and addressed immediately.

Ammiano’s bill is called “Seth’s Law,” in memory of the Tehachapi, Calif., teen who hanged himself last September after enduring years of anti-gay bullying.

Seth’s was one of the many teen suicides we reported on over the past year.