Texas Democratic Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee, whose name is synonymous with bullying on Capitol Hill, is the lead sponsor of the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act of 2011.
The act would establish and fund “juvenile accountability block grants” for bullying prevention programs. It would also require the attorney general to assemble guidelines that states and localities could follow to develop the programs.
Jackson Lee was profiled in a Daily Caller investigation published earlier this month. Former staffers alleged that Jackson Lee frequently referred to employees by the phrase, “you stupid motherfucker.”
One bullying victim told of being humiliated by Jackson Lee in front of her parents when Jackson Lee shouted, “Don’t be a moron, you foolish girl.” Other former staff members told of how their health was impacted, how Jackson Lee abused drivers and, of note, how she appeared to single out her African-American staff for abuse.
Alison McSherry of Roll Call wrote Thursday of the irony that fabled bully Shelia Jackson Lee was sponsoring the bill. “While some say Jackson Lee is a bully, it turns out she is against kids doing the same thing,” McSherry wrote.
A “tipster” suggested to McSherry that the proposal “seems more like a sick joke than a legitimate legislative effort.” Jackson Lee’s office did not respond to Roll Call’s request for comment.
