13-year-old Kentucky boy helps get bullying law passed

Aye Jay Long [pictured], a high school freshman, gave testimony before a Kentucky House panel that was considering strengthening a proposed school bullying bill. Immediately after the testimony, lawmakers passed the bill that includes sexual orientation in school bully policies. Long testified before state lawmakers that he was bullied constantly by classmates after he told them he was gay. “They started out with names like gay, fag and all that stuff,” Long said. “And then it got to the point where I was being shoved into lockers. And I was on the dance team, and I quit the dance team because I didn’t want them to see what I was anymore.” Kentucky already has laws against bullying in school, but some lawmakers said the laws didn’t go far enough, inspiring the Oldham County assistant superintendent to ask lawmakers to do more to protect students.

[via WALB.com; image source: NBC]