[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 24 (Tuesday, March 8, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        YOUTH VIOLENCE AMENDMENT

  Mr. GORTON. Madam President, several weeks ago I worked with Senators 
Dole and Kennedy in pursuing a youth violence amendment to Goals 2000. 
This amendment empowers local school districts by allowing them to make 
their own decisions with regard to violent or criminal behavior. Today, 
I urge my colleagues on the conference committee to Goals 2000 to 
assure the youth violence in schools and communities amendment is 
included in the final report.
  School safety is increasingly a concern for parents, teachers, and 
citizens throughout the country. As I noted a few weeks ago, more than 
two-thirds of all public school teachers have been verbally abused, 
threatened with injury, or physically attacked. Perhaps, more 
significantly, almost half of all of the people who leave the teaching 
profession, Madam President, do so citing discipline problems as one of 
the frustrations which cause them to abandon that noble profession. I 
cite these statistics once again because they prove it is time that we 
do something to empower our local communities in the fight against 
youth violence.
  Madam President, I have three children who have gone through the 
public schools of Washington State, occasionally, with some problems, 
but never with a threat to their physical well-being. Today, my first 
grandchild is in kindergarten. And I will simply not rest until I know 
that she, and my other grandchildren, will grow up in a society in 
which it is safe to go to school.
  My amendment simply states that no Federal law, except education and 
civil rights laws protecting individuals with disabilities, will 
restrict the ability of schools to implement their own disciplinary 
policies with regard to violent or criminal activity. Madam president, 
it would almost seem to go without saying that this kind of authority 
should exist. Yet, I found a common thread in frustrations expressed to 
me by local school authorities. These Washingtonians feel restricted by 
government laws and regulations in their authority to discipline 
violent or criminal activity.
  A second substantive area of importance included in this amendment is 
the sharing of criminal information. We find that schools and, for that 
matter, enforcement authorities, are fearful of lawsuits if they do 
nothing but exchange information between one school district and 
another to follow a student who has a history of violent or criminal 
behavior. Law enforcement agencies are often reluctant to share such 
information with schools. This amendment states that no Federal law, 
except those disability laws, will restrict the sharing of that 
information.
  Madam President, soon after the Senate accepted my youth violence 
amendment, I received a flood of letters thanking the Senate for 
empowering local school districts to deal with violent and criminal 
behavior in their schools. These letters of support came from rural 
educational service districts in eastern Washington, parent-teacher 
organizations throughout my State, and the National Association of 
School Principals. These groups represent the people who must deal with 
violence in our schools every single day. It is time we listen and give 
them the flexibility they need to stop violent and criminal activity.
  Let me read a small excerpt from one of the letters:

       Dear Senator Gorton: On behalf of the 43,000 members of the 
     National Association of Secondary School Principals, I want 
     to express our support for your Youth Violence Amendment to 
     Goals 2000. This important amendment will assist principals 
     and school leaders across the country in establishing firm 
     disciplinary policies regarding violence in our schools.
       As you cited in your floor remarks, the sixth goal of the 
     National Education Goals calls on schools to provide a 
     learning environment free of drugs and violence, and this 
     amendment will assist in that important effort. Our members 
     believe it is virtually impossible to provide a safe haven of 
     learning in their schools without a thorough understanding 
     and record of incoming students' in school and out of school 
     disciplinary record.
       The National Association of Secondary School Principals 
     hopes that the Goals 2000 House-Senate Conference will adopt 
     this important language.

  My amendment is strongly supported in my State by the Washington 
State PTA, the Association of Washington School Principals, the 
Washington State School Directors' Association, the Washington State 
Educational Service Districts, and several individual schools and 
school districts.
  The sentiments of these groups following our inclusion of the youth 
violence amendment includes:

       Thank you for taking a very practical, pragmatic approach 
     in assisting schools and society in dealing with youth 
     violence problems.
       [We] would support having the amendment become part of the 
     law.
       We all need to support the flexibility of parents and 
     educators to work with youth in developing solutions to 
     violence at the local level. Your amendment addresses this 
     issue specifically and is essential if we are to reduce and 
     eliminate youth violence.
       Americans cherish the concept of local control in the 
     decision-making process. While your amendment acknowledges 
     that violence is a national problem, it also recognizes that 
     precise remedies may vary from one locale to another. Your 
     amendment upholds the right of local school districts to 
     tailor strategies to their own specific needs.
       We are doing our best, but we are continually frustrated by 
     threats of law suits, parental apathy, and student attitude 
     of ``anything goes''. [We] wholeheartedly support your Youth 
     Violence amendment to the Goals 2000 legislation.

  Simply put, the American people are sick and tired of the rights of 
criminals outweighing the rights of law-abiding citizens. This 
amendment puts the rights of law-abiding citizens above those of 
violent or criminal students. This amendment enhances the rights of 
handicapped children by providing them with a safe learning 
environment. Finally, this amendment clearly states that local school 
districts are empowered to reduce violence and crime in their schools. 
A clear message will be sent: We will not tolerate violent or criminal 
behavior in our schools. Period.
  The day after I offered my amendment, the Spokane School District 
called. That day a senior high student wielded a 12-inch bowie knife 
and threatened repeatedly to kill his teacher. Luckily, the teacher was 
an ex-prison guard, involved in several prison riots, and knew how to 
handle the situation. This instance highlights the need for this 
amendment. How much abuse must our teachers and principals take before 
we empower them to end violent and criminal activity?
  Madam President, I want to thank my colleagues for their inclusion of 
this crucial youth violence amendment to the Senate version of Goals 
2000. On behalf of schools across Washington State and across the 
Nation, I call on the House and Senate conferees to assure this 
amendment remains in the final conference report.

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