The “Anti-Bullying Bill of The “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act”Rights Act”

SummarySummaryEffective 2011-2012Effective 2011-2012

Glen Ridge Public SchoolsGlen Ridge Public Schools

Brief HistoryBrief History

2002 NJ enacted its public 2002 NJ enacted its public school anti-bullying statuteschool anti-bullying statute

2007 amended to include cyber 2007 amended to include cyber bullyingbullying

2008 required each school 2008 required each school district to post its anti-bullying district to post its anti-bullying policy on its website and policy on its website and annually distribute it to parents annually distribute it to parents

HIB DefinitionHIB Definition

Harassment, intimidation and bullying means Harassment, intimidation and bullying means anyany gesture, gesture, anyany written, verbal or physical act, or any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication electronic communication whether it be a single whether it be a single incident or a series of incidentsincident or a series of incidents that is reasonably that is reasonably perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived perceived as being motivated by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability and expression, or a mental, physical or sensory disability or by any other distinguishing characteristic , that takes or by any other distinguishing characteristic , that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored event, place on school property, at any school-sponsored event, on a school bus, or on a school bus, or off school groundsoff school grounds that substantially that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school of the rights of other students and that a school of the rights of other students and that a reasonable person should know, under the reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, will have the effect of circumstances, will have the effect of physically or physically or emotionally harmingemotionally harming a student or damaging the a student or damaging the student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of of physical or emotional harmphysical or emotional harm to his person or damage to his person or damage to his person or damage to his property. to his person or damage to his property.

Definition (continued)Definition (continued)

Has the effect of insulting or Has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of demeaning any student or group of students, disruption in or interference students, disruption in or interference with, the orderly operation of school with, the orderly operation of school or creates a hostile educational or creates a hostile educational environment for the student by environment for the student by interfering with a student’s education interfering with a student’s education by severely or pervasively causing by severely or pervasively causing physical or emotional harm to the physical or emotional harm to the student.student.

Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development

Each public school teaching Each public school teaching staff member to complete at staff member to complete at least 2 hours of instruction in least 2 hours of instruction in suicide prevention.suicide prevention.

This instruction must be This instruction must be provided by a licensed health provided by a licensed health care professional with training care professional with training and experience in mental health and experience in mental health issues.issues.

Professional Development Professional Development (continued)(continued) The instruction in suicide prevention The instruction in suicide prevention

shall include information on the shall include information on the relationship between the risk of relationship between the risk of suicide and incidents of harassment, suicide and incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying.intimidation and bullying.

To include information on reducing To include information on reducing the risk of suicide in students who the risk of suicide in students who are members of communities are members of communities identified as having members at high identified as having members at high risk.risk.

Training for Board Members Training for Board Members within one year after:within one year after:

Newly electedNewly elected Newly appointedNewly appointed Re-electionRe-election Re-AppointmentRe-Appointment Provided by NJSBAProvided by NJSBA

Reporting cases of HIBReporting cases of HIB

Parent Report due 5 days after board meeting

Results to Board of Education (next meeting)

Results to Superintendent within 2 days of completion of investigation

Principal notifies School Anti-Bullying Specialist to start Investigation(10 days to complete)

Employee completes written report within 2 days

Principal notifies parents of all involved^

Employee reports to Principal verbally in 1 day^

Appeal ProcessAppeal Process

May file with the Division of Civil RightsWithin 180 days

May be appealed to Commissioner of Education within 90 days

The board shall issue a decision in writing to affirm, reject or modify the superintendent’s decision

The hearing shall be held within 10 days of the requestA parent may request a hearing of the board after receiving report

Superintendent’s report to Superintendent’s report to public public

Superintendent must report out Superintendent must report out to public 2 times a year Sept-to public 2 times a year Sept-Jan and Jan-June.Jan and Jan-June.

Must report out all acts of Must report out all acts of violence, vandalism violence, vandalism harassment, Intimidation and harassment, Intimidation and Bullying which occurred during Bullying which occurred during reporting period.reporting period.

Superintendent’s report to Superintendent’s report to include:include: # of reports# of reports Status of investigationStatus of investigation Type and nature of bullying: Type and nature of bullying:

gesture, written, verbal physical gesture, written, verbal physical act, electronic communicationact, electronic communication

Names of InvestigatorsNames of Investigators Type and nature of any Type and nature of any

discipline imposed on any discipline imposed on any studentstudent

Superintendent’s reportSuperintendent’s report

Training conductedTraining conducted Programs implemented to Programs implemented to

reduce harassment, intimidation reduce harassment, intimidation and bullyingand bullying

Employees shall have Employees shall have MONTHLY ACCESS to # of all MONTHLY ACCESS to # of all reported acts of violence, reported acts of violence, vandalism, harassment, vandalism, harassment, intimidation and bullying.intimidation and bullying.

School DataSchool Data School report card: to School report card: to

include data identifying include data identifying the number and nature the number and nature of all reports of of all reports of harassment , harassment , intimidation and intimidation and bullyingbullying

Verification of the Verification of the reports on violence, reports on violence, vandalism and vandalism and harassment, harassment, intimidation and intimidation and bullying shall be part bullying shall be part of the State’s of the State’s monitoring of the monitoring of the school district.school district.

Report all HIB data to Report all HIB data to NJDOE by school and NJDOE by school and districtdistrict

Two times a year Two times a year Each school shall Each school shall

receive a gradereceive a grade The District shall The District shall

receive a grade by receive a grade by averaging the grades averaging the grades of all schoolsof all schools

The grades shall be The grades shall be posted on each posted on each school’s website and school’s website and district website.district website.

Also posted yearly on Also posted yearly on NJDOE websiteNJDOE website

Publicity Publicity

A link to the policy must be A link to the policy must be prominently posted on home page of prominently posted on home page of school district’s websiteschool district’s website

Contact information for the District Contact information for the District Anti-Bullying Coordinator must be Anti-Bullying Coordinator must be listed on the home page of the listed on the home page of the school district’s website and on the school district’s website and on the home page of each school website home page of each school website

Contact information for District A-B Contact information for District A-B Coordinator and the School Anti-Coordinator and the School Anti-bullying Specialist must be bullying Specialist must be maintained on NJDOE website.maintained on NJDOE website.

Disciplinary ActionDisciplinary Action

A school Administrator who receives a report of harassment ,intimidation, or bullying from a district employee, and fails to initiate or conduct an investigation, or who shouldhave known of an incident of harassment, intimidation, or bullying and fails to take sufficient action to minimize or Eliminate the harassment, intimidation, or bullying, may be subject to disciplinary action

Responsibilities of District Responsibilities of District Anti-Bullying CoordinatorAnti-Bullying Coordinator Responsible for coordinating and Responsible for coordinating and

strengthening the school district’s strengthening the school district’s policies policies

Collaborate with the School Anti-Collaborate with the School Anti-Bullying SpecialistsBullying Specialists

Provide data in collaboration with Provide data in collaboration with Superintendent to the NJDOESuperintendent to the NJDOE

Meet with School Anti-Bullying Meet with School Anti-Bullying Specialists 2 times a year to Specialists 2 times a year to strengthen procedures and policies strengthen procedures and policies to prevent, identify and address HIB.to prevent, identify and address HIB.

School Anti-Bullying SpecialistSchool Anti-Bullying Specialist

Principal AppointsPrincipal Appoints When a school counselor, or When a school counselor, or

school psychologist is currently school psychologist is currently employed in a school the employed in a school the principal shall appoint that principal shall appoint that individualindividual

May appoint other school May appoint other school personnel if not employed in the personnel if not employed in the school. school.

School Anti-Bullying Specialist School Anti-Bullying Specialist DutiesDuties Chair school Chair school

safety teamsafety team Lead Lead

investigationsinvestigations Act as the Act as the

primary school primary school official official responsible for responsible for prevention, prevention, identification identification and addressingand addressing

School Safety TeamSchool Safety Team

Principal or Principal or designeedesignee

Anti-bullying Anti-bullying SpecialistSpecialist

TeacherTeacher Parent of a studentParent of a student Others members Others members

determined by determined by PrincipalPrincipal

Responsibilities of the School Responsibilities of the School Safety TeamSafety Team Receive Receive

complaints that complaints that have been have been reported to reported to PrincipalPrincipal

Receive reports Receive reports after investigationafter investigation

Identify and Identify and address patternsaddress patterns

Review and Review and strengthen School strengthen School climate and climate and policiespolicies

Educate the Educate the communitycommunity

Participate in Participate in training/PDtraining/PD

Collaborate with Collaborate with District Anti-District Anti-Bullying Bullying CoordinatorCoordinator

N.J.D.O.E’s participationN.J.D.O.E’s participation

• Model Policy to be developed by Commissioner of Education 90 days after effective act•Workshops for Coordinators and Specialists•Online tutorial on Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying•Bullying Prevention Fund- GRANTS•First Monday in October of each year is designated as “ Week of Respect” in the State of New Jersey.