Iowa Safe Schools

7th Annual Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth

All students deserve a safe and supportive place in which to learn including those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ). For many LGBTQ youth, school can be a terrifying place due to bullying, harassment, and discrimination. In order to eliminate bullying in Iowa schools and create leadership opportunities for LGBTQ youth, Iowa Safe Schools founded the Annual Iowa Governors Conference on LGBTQ Youth.

Founded in 2006, the Governors Conference is the only event of its kind nationally. Over 500 individuals from nearly 90 Iowa communities attend annually including Iowa students, college students, professors, educators, counselors, administrators, policy makers, parents, faith leaders, youth-serving professionals, and those who just care about the wellbeing of LGBTQ youth.

Iowa Safe Schools is proud to have the support of Governor Terry Branstad for this years event. The event started during Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's final term as Governor and continue during Governor Chet Culver's term.

Due to recent confusion on the name of the Governors Conference, Governor Branstad sent the below letter to Iowa Safe Schools' Executive Director. The letter and mentioned proclamation will be read to all participants the day of the Governors Conference during the opening session. If you are interested in participating at this years Conference just click the link on your left for all the info!

Dear Mr. Monson,

As you know, I am regrettably not able to attend your upcoming conference because of a scheduling conflict. However, I support the conference and its goalof eliminating bullying and making Iowa schools safe for all students. I do not object to you including the word "Governor's" in the conference title in keeping with the historical name and the emphasis on its importance to Iowa schools.

As you know, I have already officially proclaimed September 1 "Safe Schools Day." I hope that in my absence, you will read that proclamation to conference attendees.

You have my very best wishes for a successful conference this year and in future years.

Sincerely,

Terry E. Branstad
Governor

Download the full letter
Letter from the Governor

Looking for Help?

All students deserve a safe, supportive, and caring learning environment. No student should be denied an education because of an unsafe school or community. Since 2002, Iowa Safe Schools has lead the fight in passing the state's anti-bullying law and working to educate Iowans about reporting incidents of bullying.

Since September 1, 2007; every accredited Iowa school district (public and non-public) has to have a policy in place that defines bullying, publicly posts the policy, lists the 17 categories that are protected under the law, and report their incidents of bullying including the consequences of each incident to the Iowa Department of Education. Since this time, 26 public school districts have never reported a single incident; and during the 2010-11 school year 98 public school districts did not report a single incident.

If you want to know how your school district stacks up on reporting - click the icon on your left to find your school and see their reporting as a district over the past four years. Follow our FAQ on Bullying Help below if you need any assistance.

I'm being bullied and need help. What do I do?

Contact your teacher, school counselor, and principal immediately. If your school does not know about the bullying it is difficult to help. The school will have report forms available for you to fill out. It is important you request to fill out a form and complete it along with any evidence.

My principal isn't doing anything about the bullying. Now what?

Contact your school district's superintendent immediately. Your superintendent should help resolve any issues. Often times a school administrator may not be able to tell you what happened due to privacy laws.

My superintendent isn't doing anything about the bullying. Now what?

If you feel your school principal and superintendent have not handled the situation appropriately - contact your school board.

Is there anything else I can do?

Yes, a violation of the Safe Schools Law is often times a violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Code. You may have a potential case with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. To file a complaint and receive assistance contact the Iowa Civil Rights Commission at http://www.state.ia.us/government/crc/

You may also file a complaint with the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights by going here http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/qa-complaints.html

You may also contact Penny Bisignano who works on bullying prevention at the Iowa Department of Education by emailing her at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Depending upon the situation, you may need to consult an attorney. Two organizations who may be able to help are the ACLU of Iowa www.aclu-ia.org or Lambda Legal www.lambdalegal.org

Can Iowa Safe Schools help with the bullying?

Iowa Safe Schools is glad to offer to any school where bullying is an issue opportunities for trainings on bullying prevention and resolution. Our staff may be able to accompany a concerned student and/or parent to meet with school administrators if this is needed. Please contact Nate Monson at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it if you need further assistance.

I'm a parent and my child is being bullied, what should I do?

Follow the steps listed above. It is important to work with your principal and superintendent. They are there to help. You may file a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, contact the Iowa Department of Education, and/or consult an attorney on behalf of your child.

I'm a friend or relative of a student being bullied, what should I do?

Encourage the student and parents to follow the above steps. Unless you are a parent, guardian, or the student being bullied - it is difficult to resolve a situation.