TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) – Debbie Johnston believes her 15-year-old son killed himself because he was taunted and called gay and a stalker at school and over the Internet. She urged a Senate committee last week to help stop other children from being harassed and the panel complied by approving anti-bullying legislation.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously approved the bill that would require school districts to establish and enforce anti-bullying policies. A similar bill was scheduled to go before the House Education Council later that day.

Johnston’s son, Jeff, hung himself on June 29 in Cape Coral on Florida’s southwest coast. She said his suicide is one of many that have resulted from bullying.

“Because of the growing epidemic in our country it’s now become to be known [as] ‘bullycide,’” said Johnston, who teaches at the middle school her son attended. “Young children are killing themselves to escape the pain because death is preferable to what they face in the classroom every day.”

She told the committee that First Amendment rights of free speech should be curtailed if they affect the safety of children in school.

The Senate committee rejected a hotly debated amendment that would have allowed school districts to focus protection on certain groups such as gays and lesbians and racial, ethnic or religious minorities. They are considered most likely to be harassed.

Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, said that without his amendment, school districts would have to scrap existing plans that have proven effective. Republicans rejected his amendment on a straight party-line vote, 5-3.

The issue is expected to come up again as the bill (SB 1384) continues through the legislative process. It has two more committee stops before it can reach the Senate floor.

The House sponsor, Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff, R-Fort Lauderdale, said she planned to offer an amendment to her bill (HB 535) that would allow anti-discrimination policies that list certain groups for protection, but districts still would have to develop separate anti-bullying policies.

The bills in both chambers specifically prohibit anti-bullying policies from singling out victim groups for protection. School districts that fail to comply could lose state safe schools grants of at least $50,000 for each county.

The Senate sponsor, Sen. Carey Baker, R-Eustis, said he wanted to make sure that all children are protected.

“We have to focus on the behavior of the bully,” said Bogdanoff.

“We can’t ignore the victims,” Klein replied.

Nadine Smith of the Florida Safe Schools Coalition said research shows policies must list victim groups to be effective, otherwise enforcement is left to the discretion and biases of individual teachers and administrators.

Johnston and several students who accompanied her spoke out against the Klein amendment. She said her son was not a part of any victim group.

One of the students, Joseph DuBay, 16, told the committee that as a gay student he didn’t see a need to be protected more than another student. He said was a friend of Johnston’s son and that the alleged bully “did it just because.” DuBay broke down at the podium and was unable to continue.