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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 24, 1999

Statement of Bob Chase
President, National Education Association
On Supreme Court's ruling on Sexual Harassment

We are pleased with the Supreme Court's ruling today on student-to-student sexual harassment. The National Education Association and its more than 2.4 million members have long advocated for the right of every child to attend school free of harassment. NEA supported the young student in this case by filing an amicus brief in coalition with the National Partnership for Women and Families.

We believe, as the Court ruled, that school districts should take prompt and effective action to stop known instances of peer sexual harassment. The lesson here is that school districts should work to prevent sexual harassment from occurring in the first place through education and training programs for students and staff. The National Education Association is working diligently to provide information to our members - to teachers and other education employees - about preventing harassment of all kinds. We are pleased that schools nationwide have begun to raise awareness about this problem and have taken steps to reduce and prevent it through guidelines and training.