National Educator Survey on School Climate and Bullying
Every day, LGBTQ+ students and educators walk into schools shaped as much by their state's laws as by their local community. Over the past several years, a wave of state policies — some protecting LGBTQ+ students, others restricting how schools can support them — has reshaped what's possible inside the classroom. To understand what that shift looks like in practice, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation surveyed public school educators nationwide about the bullying and harassment they're witnessing, the training they're receiving, and the barriers they face when trying to help. The results offer a rare, ground-level look at how state policy translates into daily school life — and how far a student's safety and dignity can depend on where they happen to live.
The HRC Educator Survey gathered responses from almost 900 public school educators across 42 states and Washington, D.C. The survey results give us a clearer picture of what educators are seeing in schools right now as it relates to LGBTQ+ bullying and harassment. In states with more restrictive LGBTQ+ policies, educators report more barriers to supporting students, less access to relevant training and more anti-LGBTQ+ harassment. The findings show just how much state policy can shape what happens in a classroom and how safe students feel at school.
1. State policies are showing up in the day-to-day experiences of schools.
Educators in states with more anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies described a very different school environment. They reported less training on LGBTQ+ issues, more harassment of students and educators, greater hesitation about stepping in when problems arise, and more concern about where school climate is headed.
2. Anti-LGBTQ+ bullying is a serious problem.
Four in ten educators say anti-LGBTQ+ bullying is a real problem in their schools. That should concern every parent, educator and school leader who wants kids to feel safe at school.
3. In some states, educators’ hands are increasingly tied.
The differences between states are significant. In states with more restrictive LGBTQ+ policies, nearly 60% of educators reported formal restrictions on supporting transgender students, including around names and pronouns or access to facilities. In supportive-policy states, just 6% to 8% of educators reported similar restrictions. Something as basic as whether an educator can support a transgender student can depend on that student’s ZIP code. Where a young person lives should not determine whether they are treated with dignity at school.
4. Educators who may need support the most are often getting the least.
Among educators who received anti-bullying training, those in supportive-policy states were much more likely to say that training addressed sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression. There’s a troubling disconnect here: educators in places reporting more anti-LGBTQ+ bullying are often getting less of the training that could help them respond to it.
5. The impact isn’t limited to students.
Educators themselves are also experiencing anti-LGBTQ+ harassment. Nearly one in four educators in restrictive-policy states described anti-LGBTQ+ harassment of teachers as a moderate or serious problem, compared with about one in ten in supportive-policy states.
