New Jersey's Anti-Bullying Law

Most people would agree that bullying in public schools is a problem but it’s questionable whether that problem was big enough here in New Jersey that we needed what’s being called the most stringent anti-bullying law in the country.
As the new school year begins schools and students have the deal with the new law which requires that all public schools adopt strict policies and guidelines. On the surface it seems like a good thing but as is usually the case this one might go a bit overboard and lead adults to take action in cases that are just part of growing up.

Of course laws like this are usually motivated by a tragedy and you only have to look at what happened just a year ago when an 18-year old Rutgers student committed suicide after being harassed by two students because he was gay. This new law, signed by Governor Christie in January, is at least partly a reaction or should I say overreaction to that and related incidents. Clearly bullying is a problem in public schools, even though there was a law already on the books which I guessed was not enforced enough. As for the new Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights well let’s take a look.

Every school must appoint an anti-bullying specialist which sounds worse than having lunch duty. This lucky individual must investigate every complaint and do so within 24 hours of the alleged incident. The school Principal then must turn in a report to State Education officials in Trenton who will actually post grades on their web site as to how each school handles matters. This all sounds noble but the law requires and forces schools to report anything that vaguely resembles bullying, even instances that most would agree is just part of childhood. So if a teacher is walking in the hallway and hears one student say to the other, “If you don’t give me back the notes I gave you for the test I’m going to smack you in the head” I guess that would require the teacher to report what most could consider a harmless matter. Worst yet if the teacher does not they could be in hot water even if they truly believe it’s not a case of bullying.

Oh and how about this. As part of the law the Department of Education must create a special fund to pay for training sessions but nobody knows where the money is coming from. So in true New Jersey and political fashion we have created a law which ultimately could cause more problems than it solves. No truth to the rumor that when the Governor was asked about that he replied, “if you don’t like it I’ll kick your…….”