By ALLY KOWALSKI & FRANCESCA COCCI
Editor-in-Chief & News Editor
After the installment of the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights,” New Jersey has been noted as having “the
toughest legislation against bullying in the nation” by most reports.
The MCVSD’s newest policy against bullying requires all acts of harassment, intimidation, or bullying
(HIB) to immediately be reported to the principal, and then assigned to the anti-bullying specialist, who has
10 days to complete an investigation and a report back to the principal to chose the next course of action.
The law defines HIB as “any gesture, written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication,
whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents, that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either
by any actual or perceived characteristic.” It also states that these incidents can occur on or off school
grounds, as “anything that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the
rights of other students.”
With the passing of this law being directly attached to the death of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi, who
committed suicide after being bullied by a fellow student, the new mandates can be easily associated with
student-to-student bullying cases.
However, while these types of cases are directly addressed in the laws, other dynamics, such as student-
teacher/teacher-student, are not specifically spelled out.
“The definition of offender is not specified, but it is implied to include anyone in the school community
(students, teachers, other staff),” according to an e-mail sent by the district’s Anti-Bullying Coordinator,
Anthony Schaible.
When asked if the bullying document addresses student-teacher bullying, CHS Anti-Bullying Specialist
Carol Caruso pulled out a binder and said the document is “very vague.”
There are three separate documents regarding HIB law- the consequences, District Policy,
and the actual law. The only possible indication that there may be consequences for a teacher involved
in HIB is in the consequences section, which says there can be “increment withholding” (stopping a raise)
although it doesn’t specifically note that this is for a teacher punishment.
If confronted with a case of student-teacher HIB, Caruso said her “first step would be to talk to Mr.
Gleason.” A lengthy report based on the law would follow as well as an investigation.
However, some noted that this most likely would not be a problem at CHS.
“I don’t really think it happens here, but at some of my other friend’s schools, I’ve heard they had
problems with teachers putting them down in front of the class,” said SGA President Carly Ferreira.
Fitness teacher Ginny Clevenger agreed that CHS did not have a problem in this area.
“I guess it couldn’t hurt to have a section in the policy related to faculty and student interactions.
However, in our professional education, teachers are taught how to speak with students and teachers and
how not to,” said Clevenger.
“Teachers should know better already,” she added.