School Bullying Council

Express-Times Photo | SUE BEYERNew Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow speaks with Phillipsburg High School students.

By Paula T. Dow

Despite a number of highly publicized, bullying-related tragedies nationwide and enactment of a new anti-bullying law here in New Jersey, some young people still do not fully grasp the harm that can be inflicted by bullying.

And some well-meaning adults still tend to view bullying as nothing more than a rite of passage that forces victims to “toughen up,” learn how to “handle themselves” and otherwise prepare for the rigors of adult life. But this school-of-hard-knocks theory is misguided.

Bullying has been linked to an increased likelihood of criminal conduct — such as bias crime — by those who engage in bullying. It has been linked to actual — and planned — shooting rampages carried out by those who’ve been the victims of bullying. And although suicide is a sensitive and complex issue, bullying has been cited as a possible factor in numerous cases in which young people have taken their lives.

In short, bullying is a serious community safety issue and a problem that all of us have a stake in solving. One element of the solution is to drive home the message that bullying is not harmless and is not simply “part of growing up” — that it does real damage and can have serious, if not tragic, consequences. Beyond generating more awareness about the impact of bullying, we must also spread awareness of the fact that actions generally viewed as bullying conduct are not just unkind — they are illegal.

Many people do not realize that bullying can be prosecuted criminally. Bullying that involves assaults, threatened violence, the taking of money or possessions from an individual, restraining someone, use of weapons or vandalism has the potential to be treated as criminal conduct. Admittedly, many cases of bullying do not rise to that level, but these “noncriminal” situations also can have consequences under the law.

In New Jersey, the Law Against Discrimination deals with many types of discrimination. It focuses specifically on certain “protected” categories, so it would not apply in all cases of bullying. However, it’s worth noting that the “protected” categories often are the very categories bullies focused on: race, ethnicity, religion, gender, perceived sexual orientation and disability, among others.

In addition, New Jersey has recently enacted an Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act. Under the new law, training is now required for most public school employees on how to spot bullying. School districts are required to form “school safety teams” to review bullying complaints and to have a school “bullying specialist” on staff.

School superintendents are required to report incidents of bullying to the state Department of Education. School employees are required to report all bullying incidents that come to their attention — whether they occur in school or not.

Many schools now have sworn law enforcement “resource officers” assigned to them by their municipal police departments. Our 21 county prosecutors’ offices, as well as each police department with patrol jurisdiction in a given school district, now have personnel assigned to liaison with local and county school officials. And there is a “Memorandum of Agreement Between Education and Law Enforcement Officials” — approved by my office and the Department of Education — that sets forth policies and procedures for police and school personnel to follow.

We are making progress where bullying is concerned, but our work is far from done. Bullying remains a problem for many young people and, by extension, for entire communities. By working together, however — and through a sustained commitment to awareness and enforcement — we can change outmoded attitudes and prevail in the effort to end bullying.

Paula T. Dow is the attorney general for New Jersey.

Related opinion: NJ’s new bullying law forces schools to overreact

By
Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 11:27 AM on 27th July 2011

Uncomfortable reading: Republican rep Michele Bachmann is very vocal on anti-gay issues including gay marriage and that public schools shouldn’t be forced to start teaching it

Over the past two years nine young people have committed suicide in Michele Bachmann’s backyard – or at least the Minnesota school districts she represents.

Many more have attempted to take their own lives leading state public health officials to slap a ‘suicide contagion area’ label on the region because of the high levels.

At least four of those who committed suicide were openly gay or, at least, perceived to be gay by classmates, and many were reportedly bullied. 

While it is impossible to prove why these youngsters took their own lives, some critics are suggesting a link between the suicides and the anti-gay rhetoric sweeping through school districts in the state.

The news may be uncomfortable for Bachmann who has a number of anti-gay policies.

Michele Johnson, whose 13-year-old daughter Samantha was one of the first students in the Anoka-Hennepin district to commit suicide in 2009, says she now wishes she’d never moved to the area.

‘I feel if I hadn’t moved to this district my daughter wouldn’t have died,’ Ms Johnson told Mother Jones.

She believes her daughter had been heavily bullied at then Fred Moore Middle School, in Ramsey, Minnesota, for her short hair, her clothes and her weight.

The bullies thought Samantha had been
a lesbian, Ms Johnson said. But despite being heavily
involved in setting up a gay rights group at the school, she doesn’t
believe that to be true.

Her daughter did seek refuge with other students who were gay though, most likely because they were getting bullied as well.

Not that Ms Johnson knew about the bullying until after her daughter’s death when the girl’s friends told her.

They claimed Samantha had been
relentlessly targeted by certain girls on her volleyball team. She had
dropped out but the coach had never contacted Ms Johnson.

The friends also claimed at least one school staff member witnessed the bullying but did nothing.

Loss: Samantha Johnson, left, was one of the first students in the Anoka-Hennepin district to commit suicide in 2009, while 15-year-old Justin Aaberg, right, hanged himself in his bedroom last year

Pact: Minnesota school girls from a different district, Haylee Fentress, left, and Paige Moravetz, right, carried out a suicide pact in April because they said they were being bullied

‘If I had known, I would have pulled her out of that school so quick,’ her mother said.

Last July, weeks after finishing his freshman year at Anoka High School, Justin Aaberg hanged himself in his bedroom.

He had been bullied because of his sexual orientation, according to his family.

Since his death at just 15, Justin’s
mother Tammy has been spoken publicly about the worry she had for her son’s
safety as an openly gay teen and battled to get the school district to
change its thinking on anti-gay bullying.

She said last year the situation had got a bit better but there was still a way to go.

Tragic: The latest case in the district was of 14-year-old Jordan Yenor who killed himself in May prompting school officials to look at additional resources to help students

‘Most of the teachers and principals, and maybe even now the
superintendent, they mean well – they want to intervene. But
the teachers still don’t know what they can and can’t do.’

The latest suicide in the Anoka-Hennepin district was in May. Fourteen-year-old Jordan Yenor’s death has prompted school officials to look at additional resources to help students.

Anoka-Hennepin is certainly not alone; there have been teen suicides in other school districts, which are not represented by Bachmann.

Fourteen-year-old Marshal County schoolgirls Haylee Fentress and Paige Moravetz made a suicide pact because they said they were being bullied.

The girls, best friends who even had hyphenated both their last names, hanged themselves in April.

Back in March 18-year-old Lance Lundsten, a Jefferson High School student who was openly gay on his Facebook page, took an overdose and later died in hospital.

On a Facebook memorial page Lance’s friends had written that he had been bullied at school for his sexual orientation.

Anoka-Hennepin is currently under federal investigation for infringing civil rights because it refused to add lessons promoting homosexuality to the curriculum.

Several
LGBT students are also suing the district claiming to have been ignored by
staff after complaining of being harassed physically and verbally for
long periods of time.

One
of the plaintiffs dropped out of school, later attempting suicide while
another claims to have been called a ‘faggot’ in the hallway while a
teacher who witnessed the attack did nothing, according to the suit.

One of the lawyers working on the suit Sam Wolfe, told Mother Jones: ‘The
district has serious problems. They’ve been reluctant to really address
the nature of the problem.’

Before the federal government stepped in, the district adopted a policy that all but wiped homosexuality from the curriculum, according to the website.

Waste: Lance Lundsten, a Jefferson High School student, left,  who was openly gay on his Facebook page, took an overdose and later died in hospital in March, while Thomas John ‘TJ’ Hayes, right, committed suicide in 2009

School employees could not teach that homosexuality was a ‘normal, valid lifestyle.’ The policy was later changed to require staff to remain neutral on the subject, but only if it should come up in class.

Both policies were influenced by two religious groups – and big Bachmann supporters -  the Minnesota Family Council (MFC) and The Parents Action League, which also lobbied to put discredited ‘reparative therapy’ materials into schools, according to the website.

Daniel J Reidenberg, executive director of Minnesota-based Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), told MailOnline that while connecting Bachmann with the deaths was probably largely a result of media impact ‘her views and statements are not helpful, that is for sure.’

‘..for youth who are dealing with orientation issues and identity/development issues, when they hear or read things from others that are contrary to what they are thinking, feeling, living, it does cause them added stress,’ he added.

Memorial: Aaron Jurek, a student at Blaine High School, lost his battle with undiagnosed depression in November 2009

‘Having a celebrity or a public figure say/do things as publicly (or privately) as say for example she’s done, if that were to be heard by a LGBTQ youth who is particularly vulnerable or at risk, could add to their distress.’

While the bullying runs on in schools, outside relations between anti-gay and pro-gay groups are decidedly frosty.

The MFC, of which Bachmann has very close ties, has waged war on gay marriage, wanting a constitutional amendment on the state ballot in 2012.

Bachmann has been very vocal about the issue and has linked it to schools. In 2004 she addressed a rally: ‘In our
public schools, whether they want to or not, they’ll be forced to start
teaching that same-sex marriage is equal, that it is normal and that
children should try it.’

The Republican has also spoken out against an anti-bullying bill, telling Minnesota state legislature in 2006 that it would a waste of time.

‘I think for all of us, our experience in public schools is there have always been bullies,’ she said at the time. ‘Always have been, always will be.

‘I just don’t know how we’re ever going to get to the point of zero tolerance. What does it mean. Will we be expecting boys to be girls?’

Justin Aaberg’s mother Tammy continues to lobby public officials urging them to pass legislation that would make schools safer.

While Senators Al Franken and Keith Ellison, both Minnesota Democrats, have been supportive, Ms Aaberg claims Bachmann has not responded to a request for a meeting with her.

She would certainly welcome legislation even though it would be too late for her own son and the other victims of the district and surrounding districts.

• For confidential support call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.
• In the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255
• Any young people who have experienced bullying, or need someone to talk to, can talk to young CyberMentors and counsellors on Beatbullying’s safe and secure peer-to-peer mentoring site www.CyberMentors.org.uk

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Federal investigators are looking into complaints of harassment and bullying in the Anoka-Hennepin School District.

A spokeswoman with the Department of Justice says it’s conducting a joint investigation with the Department of Education. The investigation has been going on since last fall.

The Anoka-Hennepin district says it received a letter in November about the investigation. Since then, the district has cooperated with investigators, providing documents and interviews.

District spokesman Brett Johnson says the district and investigators have the same goal: to keep kids safe.

In October, the district changed its anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies after six students committed suicide over a year and a half. The district’s own investigation found no evidence that bullying contributed to the deaths. But some family members and advocates disagreed.

The school district is the largest in Minnesota.

http://www.kttc.com/story/15121565/feds-investigate-bullying-at-anoka-hennepin

“If they are going to hell, I’m going to hell with them!” That interjection got one woman kicked out Monday night’s Anoka-Hennepin School Board meeting. Her statement came during the testimony of a conservative Christian parent who said she knows the “homosexual agenda” is “coming after our kids.” The exchange was part of a tense night of testimony over the district’s bullying policies and whether LGBT issues should be discussed in classrooms in Minnesota’s largest school district.

LGBT advocates packed the board room, some holding signs in support of LGBT students. Nearly two dozen people testified that the district’s policy of banning discussions of sexual orientation in classrooms was detrimental to all students in the district. That policy, dubbed the “neutrality policy,” has been the source of controversy in the district for more than a year.

But it was the testimony of one parent who opposes homosexuality that riled many in the room.

Laurie Thompson, a conservative Christian and mother of three district students, tore into members of the LGBT community.

“For the past five out of six months, I have watched numerous members and supporters of the GLBT community pressure our school board into changing the sexual orientation curriculum policy,” she said. “I have decided I could no longer sit on the sidelines and continue to watch our school board and superintendent be bullied and harassed by members and supporters of the LGBT community both locally and nationally.”

“There is a huge debate whether homosexuality is on the same plane as heterosexuality. Many, including myself, believe homosexuality is a lifestyle choice.”

Thompson then said that the “homosexual lifestyle” is a health risk akin to drugs and alcohol and that it would be against the morals of conservative Christians.

“I am well aware of the national homosexual agenda to come after our kids,” she said, adding, “If anyone is being silenced, it’s the students who have a conservative Christian viewpoint.”

At that point a young woman in the audience yelled out, “If they are going to hell, I’m going to hell with them! So go gays!” She was escorted out of the building by security.

The meeting wasn’t Thompson’s first. In 2009, she tried to have a banner depicting the Christian nativity scene hung in the Anoka High School cafeteria. She said because Gay-Straight Alliances are allowed to put up fliers, that her Christian son should have the same right.

“How sad it is that Jesus Christ, the son of God, who so many people turn to on a daily basis, has been taken out of our schools,” she said at a school board meeting in 2009. “Why? Because of the very few people who are offended by the Christian faith.”

But, for the most part the rest of the meeting was civil and the vast majority of the testifiers urged the school board to scrap the neutrality policy.

Tammy Aaberg, an Anoka parent whose son Justin was gay and took his own life in 2010, spoke about the Minneapolis schools, which recently passed a resolution creating LGBT-specific programming around bullying.

“Minneapolis school district just made their sexual orientation policy better, and it covers everybody,” she said adding that she hoped that Anoka-Hennepin would follow suit.

Dot Betzler, a 17-year resident of Andover and mother of three Anoka High graduates, told the board that she doesn’t support the current policies. She’s also the executive director of Twin Cities Pride.

“I’ve voted in favor of school levies in the past, but I can’t in good conscience support the sexual orientation neutrality policy of this board,” she said.

Betzler cited part of the policy that directs teachers to send LGBT students to a school counselor if issues arise — whether it’s related to bullying or the student is simply “coming out.”

“Being gay is not something that can change, and sending students to the counselor as if being gay is a behavioral issue is ridiculous,” she said.

She also warned the district about leaving the current policy in place, pointing to the lawsuit filed last month by two lesbians who were being prevented from walking in a ceremony together in Champlin Park High School.

Cindy Thurston, whose son Michael attends Anoka Middle School, said her son has experienced anti-gay bullying.

“Some things have improved,” she noted and praised several teachers and staff who have helped him. But, she said there was still work that needed to be done.

“I keep feeling angry because it’s all on Michael and the targets of abuse — it’s up to him to educate his peers,” she said. She said the victims of bullying shouldn’t need to educate their tormentors and that the district should provide better anti-bullying education.

“Just today he heard the word ‘fag’ four times,” she said.

“I’ve trusted you for the last 20 years,” she told the board. “I please just hope you will make a good decision; it won’t be as bad as you think it is going to be if you rescind the policy.”

http://minnesotaindependent.com/78344/tempers-flare-over-anti-gay-bullying-at-anoka-hennepin-school-board-meeting