FEBRUARY 8, 2016, 10:01 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016, 6:33 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
When a junior at Fair Lawn High School with pro-Palestinian views was accused of bullying after celebrating that a pro-Israeli classmate had stopped following her on Twitter, many believed she was being silenced because of her opinions. Why else, they wondered, would the school want to investigate her?
While it may have been baffling to outsiders, the bullying probe was hardly a surprise in New Jersey, where insults and conflicts, even isolated ones, often result in formal inquiries. That’s because New Jersey’s anti-bullying law put tough requirements on schools to take swift action to report on accusations of bullying, intimidation and harassment.
When the law was signed in 2011 after the suicide of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi, it was considered a landmark piece of legislation to protect students from harm and a model for the country. By nearly all accounts, the law has made schools safer. But critics say that it goes too far, pushing schools to investigate all or most allegations and sometimes hurting the very students it was designed to help.
A state anti-bullying task force has recommended changes to the state code that would give principals discretion in handling cases. It also said that there should be an investigation whenever a case involves a power imbalance, such as when one student is perceived to be weaker or less popular. The state has not taken action on those recommendations, although the state education commissioner is expected to discuss the task force’s findings at a Board of Education meeting Wednesday.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-anti-bullying-law-draws-fresh-scrutiny-1.1508225
Step #1: Tragedy.
Step #2: Liberals pass law to stop future tragedies.
Step #3: Liberals feel good about what they have done.
Step #4: Unintended consequences of feel good legislation starts to be seen.
Step #5: Anti-Bullying Reform Legislation is introduced.
Step #6: Conservative Governor passes along another unfunded mandate to local taxpayers.
Christie is a “Conservative Governor” since when ?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Yes Christie isn’t Conservative and Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon were liberals too. This legislation was all Christie and it was wrong then and wrong now.
The law is impossible to administer and is unfair to young people who are in part learning where the line is and how to behave in society. There is a line somewhere between Lord of the Flies and this law where the proper balance of protecting victims and protecting speech exists.
Brian you need to hit your history books , Christie has never been a conservative and pushing a law like this is proof positive and btw neither was Nixon (wage price freezes among other things), Reagan was . Like most stupid government “do good ideas” is was a “solution in search of a problem” and it exacerbated the very situation it was intended to fix as well as created a whole host of unintended consequences .It was also heavenly criticized and mocked on this blog .
7:57 Governor’s don’t pass laws. Legislatures pass laws.
Governor’s then sign or veto.
By the way, Liberals would include Christie (except when running for President in the Republican primary).
I like that shot, it looks like village hall workers.