Tragedy hit home when Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, jumped off the George Washington Bridge Sept. 22 after his roommate and a friend streamed his interactions with a male student on the Internet.
State government and education officials began looking into bullying and cyberbullying laws in the aftermath.
As part of the response to a wave of suicides committed by students who endured bullying, New Jersey lawmakers have proposed an Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights....
Harassment, intimidation and bullying’ would be included in the types of conduct that may cause a student to be suspended or expelled.
Crisfield cautioned that the legislation requires districts to do more, and "it’s not going to be free," but he feels it would be worth the cost because "the topic is so important."
For example, the law would require the superintendent to appoint a district anti-bullying coordinator and form a school safety team in each school in the district.
In addition, the bill provides that a school district’s policy on harassment, intimidation, and bullying must include appropriate responses to such actions that occur off school grounds.
Crisfield said if something happens outside of school, the district currently has the right to report the incident if it effects the school environment, but under the proposed laws, "we would be an authority on bullying 24-7."...
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