BILL AS INTRODUCED H.310
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H.310 1
Introduced by Representatives Toof of St. Albans Town, Birong of Vergennes, 2
Austin of Colchester, Black of Essex, Bosch of Clarendon, 3
Burditt of West Rutland, Burtt of Cabot, Charlton of Chester, 4
Coffin of Cavendish, Demar of Enosburgh, Dobrovich of 5
Williamstown, Emmons of Springfield, Galfetti of Barre Town, 6
Goslant of Northfield, Greer of Bennington, Hango of 7
Berkshire, Harrison of Chittenden, Harvey of Castleton, Hooper 8
of Randolph, Hooper of Burlington, Kascenska of Burke, 9
Krasnow of South Burlington, Laroche of Franklin, Luneau of 10
St. Albans City, McCoy of Poultney, Morgan, M. of Milton, 11
Morris of Springfield, Nielsen of Brandon, North of 12
Ferrisburgh, Pinsonault of Dorset, Pritchard of Pawlet, Quimby 13
of Lyndon, and Tagliavia of Corinth 14
Referred to Committee on 15
Date: 16
Subject: Education; harassment; courses of study; antisemitism awareness 17
Statement of purpose of bill as introduced: This bill proposes to (1) amend the 18
definition of harassment in Title 16 to include ethnic harassment and 19
antisemitic harassment and (2) require the Secretary of Education to develop 20
curriculum and provide trainings, teaching materials, and technical assistance 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.310
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for antisemitism awareness education in kindergarten through grade 12 1
schools. 2
An act relating to education on the evolving nature of antisemitism 3
It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont: 4
Sec. 1. FINDINGS AND INTENT 5
(a) Intent. 6
(1) To avoid the proliferation of antisemetic curricula, professional 7
development trainings, and classroom culture in the Vermont education 8
system, it is the intent of the General Assembly that Vermont establish a 9
curriculum around the evolving nature of antisemitism and how it should be 10
taught to educators, administrators, and students. 11
(2) It is the further intent of the General Assembly that Vermont 12
establish antisemitism prevention training in Vermont schools. 13
(b) Findings. 14
(1) In 2023, according to the Anti-Defamation League, Vermont saw the 15
second-highest increase in antisemitic hate crimes per capita in the nation. 16
(2) Also according to the Anti-Defamation League, between October 7, 17
2023 and September 24, 2024, America saw a 200 percent increase in 18
antisemitic hate crimes nationwide. 19 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.310
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(3) According to the FBI, the United States saw 1,832 anti-Jewish hate 1
crimes in 2023, up from 1,122 in 2022. 2
(4) Vermont currently lacks curricula and training for both students and 3
educators to prevent the normalization of antisemitism in Vermont. 4
Sec. 2. 16 V.S.A. § 11 is amended to read: 5
§ 11. CLASSIFICATIONS AND DEFINITIONS 6
(a) As used in this title, unless the context otherwise clearly requires: 7
* * * 8
(26)(A) “Harassment” means an incident or incidents of verbal, written, 9
visual, or physical conduct, including any incident conducted by electronic 10
means, based on or motivated by a student’s or a student’s family member’s 11
actual or perceived race, religion, ethnicity, creed, color, national origin, 12
marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability that has the 13
purpose or effect of objectively and substantially undermining and detracting 14
from or interfering with a student’s educational performance or access to 15
school resources or creating an objectively intimidating, hostile, or offensive 16
environment. 17
(B) “Harassment” includes conduct that violates subdivision (A) of 18
this subdivision (26) and constitutes one or more of the following: 19
(i) Sexual harassment, which means conduct that includes 20
unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal, 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.310
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written, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when one or both of the 1
following occur: 2
(I) Submission to that conduct is made either explicitly or 3
implicitly a term or condition of a student’s education. 4
(II) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a student is 5
used as a component of the basis for decisions affecting that student. 6
(ii) Racial harassment, which means conduct directed at the 7
characteristics of a student’s or a student’s family member’s actual or 8
perceived race or color, and includes the use of epithets, stereotypes, racial 9
slurs, comments, insults, derogatory remarks, gestures, threats, graffiti, display, 10
or circulation of written or visual material, and taunts on manner of speech and 11
negative references to racial customs. 12
(iii) Ethnic harassment, which means conduct directed at the 13
characteristics of a student’s or a student’s family member’s actual or 14
perceived ethnicity, and includes the use of epithets, stereotypes, ethnic slurs, 15
comments, insults, derogatory remarks, gestures, threats, graffiti, display, or 16
circulation of written or visual material, and taunts on manner of speech and 17
negative references to ethnic customs. 18
(iv) Antisemitic harassment, which means conduct directed at the 19
characteristics of a student’s or a student’s family member’s actual or 20
perceived Jewish heritage, and includes the use of epithets, stereotypes, 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.310
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antisemitic slurs, antisemitic libel, comments, insults, derogatory remarks, 1
gestures, threats, graffiti, display, or circulation of written or visual material, 2
taunts on manner of speech, and negative references to Jewish customs or the 3
right to self-determination in the Jewish people’s ancestral and indigenous 4
homeland. 5
(v) Harassment of members of other protected categories, which 6
means conduct directed at the characteristics of a student’s or a student’s 7
family member’s actual or perceived creed, national origin, marital status, sex, 8
sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability and includes the use of 9
epithets, stereotypes, slurs, comments, insults, derogatory remarks, gestures, 10
threats, graffiti, display, or circulation of written or visual material, taunts on 11
manner of speech, and negative references to customs related to any of these 12
protected categories. 13
* * * 14
Sec. 3. 16 V.S.A. § 914 is added to read: 15
§ 914. ANTISEMITISM AWARENESS EDUCATION CURRICULUM 16
(a) The Secretary, in conjunction with Shalom Alliance of Vermont, where 17
appropriate, shall develop a sequential antisemitism awareness education 18
curriculum for elementary and secondary schools. The curriculum shall 19
include teaching about the evolution, effects, ethics, and legal consequences of 20
antisemitism in Vermont, the United States, and abroad. 21 BILL AS INTRODUCED H.310
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(b) The Secretary shall: 1
(1) Provide for pre-service and in-service training programs for school 2
personnel on antisemitism prevention and on the forms, effects, and legal 3
consequences of antisemitism. At least one training program shall be made 4
available in electronic format. Each superintendent shall determine the 5
content, duration, and frequency of training on issues concerning antisemitism 6
education for the districts in the superintendent’s supervisory union. 7
(2) Provide teaching materials that are appropriate to the age and 8
learning ability of the students. 9
(3) Provide technical assistance to local school districts for 10
implementation of the curriculum. 11
(4) Encourage coordination of effort with existing community resources. 12
Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE 13
This act shall take effect on passage. 14