SENATE, No. 729
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
210th LEGISLATURE
INTRODUCED JANUARY 15, 2002
Sponsored by:
Senator DIANE ALLEN
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
Senator ROBERT W. SINGER
District 30 (Burlington, Mercer, Monmouth and Ocean)
SYNOPSIS
Requires school districts to adopt harassment and bullying prevention policies.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
(Sponsorship Updated As Of: 3/12/2002)
An Act concerning the adoption of harassment and bullying prevention policies by public school districts and supplementing chapter 37 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. The Legislature finds and declares that: a safe and civil environment in school is necessary for students to learn and achieve high academic standards; harassment, intimidation or bullying, like other disruptive or violent behaviors, is conduct that disrupts both a student's ability to learn and a school's ability to educate its students in a safe environment; and since students learn by example, school administrators, faculty, staff, and volunteers should be commended for demonstrating appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate harassment, intimidation or bullying.
2. As used this act:
"Harassment, intimidation or bullying" means any gesture or written, verbal or physical act taking place on school property, at any school-sponsored function or on a school bus that:
a. a reasonable person under the circumstances should know will have the effect of harming a student or damaging the student's property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to his person or damage to his property; or
b. has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school's educational mission or the education of any student.
"Harassment, intimidation or bullying" includes, but is not limited to, any gesture or written, verbal or physical act that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or a mental, physical or sensory handicap, or by any other distinguishing characteristic.
3. a. Each school district shall adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying on school property, at a school-sponsored function or on a school bus. The school district shall attempt to adopt the policy through a process that includes representation of parents or guardians, school employees, volunteers, students, administrators, and community representatives.
b. A school district shall have local control over the content of the policy, except that the policy shall contain, at a minimum, the following components:
(1) a statement prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying of a student;
(2) a definition of harassment, intimidation or bullying no less inclusive than that set forth in section 2 of this act;
(3) a description of the type of behavior expected from each student;
(4) consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person who commits an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying;
(5) a procedure for reporting an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying, including a provision that permits a person to report an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying anonymously; however, this shall not be construed to permit formal disciplinary action solely on the basis of an anonymous report;
(6) a procedure for prompt investigation of reports of violations and complaints, identifying either the principal or the principal's designee as the person responsible for the investigation;
(7) the range of ways in which a school will respond once an incident of harassment, intimidation or bullying is identified;
(8) a statement that prohibits reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying and the consequence and appropriate remedial action for a person who engages in reprisal or retaliation;
(9) consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person found to have falsely accused another as a means of retaliation or as a means of harassment, intimidation or bullying; and
(10) a statement of how the policy is to be publicized, including notice that the policy applies to participation in school-sponsored functions.
c. A school district shall adopt a policy and transmit a copy of its policy to the appropriate county superintendent of schools by September 1, 2002.
d. To assist school districts in developing policies for the prevention of harassment, intimidation or bullying, the Commissioner of Education shall develop a model policy applicable to grades kindergarten through 12. This model policy shall be issued no later than December 1, 2001.
e. Notice of the school district's policy shall appear in any publication of the school district that sets forth the comprehensive rules, procedures and standards of conduct for schools within the school district, and in any student handbook.
4. a. A school employee, student or volunteer shall not engage in reprisal, retaliation or false accusation against a victim, witness or one with reliable information about an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying.
b. A school employee, student or volunteer who has witnessed, or has reliable information that a student has been subject to, harassment, intimidation or bullying shall report the incident to the appropriate school official designated by the school district's policy.
c. A school employee who promptly reports an incident of harassment, intimidation or bullying, to the appropriate school official designated by the school district's policy, and who makes this report in compliance with the procedures in the district's policy, is immune from a cause of action for damages arising from any failure to remedy the reported incident.
5. a. Schools and school districts are encouraged to form bullying prevention task forces, programs, and other initiatives involving school staff, students, administrators, volunteers, parents, law enforcement and community members.
b. To the extent funds are appropriated for these purposes, a school district shall (1) provide training on the school district's harassment, intimidation or bullying policies to school employees and volunteers who have significant contact with students, and (2) develop a process for discussing the district's harassment, intimidation or bullying policy with students.
c. Information regarding the school district policy against harassment, intimidation or bullying shall be incorporated into a school's employee training program.
6. This act shall not be interpreted to prevent a victim from seeking redress under any other available law either civil or criminal. This act does not create or alter any tort liability.
7. A school district that incurs additional costs due to the implementation of the provisions of this act shall apply to the Commissioner of Education for reimbursement.
8. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill requires each school district to adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying on school property, at a school-sponsored function or on a school bus.
"Harassment, intimidation or bullying" is defined in the bill to mean any gesture or written, verbal or physical act taking place on school property, at any school-sponsored function or on a school bus that: a reasonable person under the circumstances should know will have the effect of harming a student or damaging the student's property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to his person or damage to his property; or has the effect of insulting or demeaning any student or group of students in such a way as to disrupt or interfere with the school's educational mission or the education of any student. "Harassment, intimidation or bullying" is also defined to include, but not be limited to, any gesture or written, verbal or physical act that is reasonably perceived as being motivated either by any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, or a mental, physical or sensory handicap, or by any other distinguishing characteristic.
A school district will determine the content of the policy, except that the policy must contain, at a minimum, the following components: - a statement prohibiting harassment, intimidation or bullying of a student;
- a definition of harassment, intimidation or bullying;
- a description of the type of behavior expected from each student; - consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person who commits an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying;
- a procedure for reporting an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying;
- a procedure for prompt investigation of reports of violations and complaints, identifying the person responsible for the investigation;
- the range of ways in which a school will respond once an incident is identified;
- a statement that prohibits reprisal or retaliation against any person who reports an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying and the consequence and appropriate remedial action for a person who engages in reprisal or retaliation;
- consequences and appropriate remedial action for a person found to have falsely accused another as a means of retaliation or as a means of harassment, intimidation or bullying; and
- a statement of how the policy is to be publicized.
The bill states that the school district must attempt to adopt its policy through a process that includes representation of various interested parties.
Under the bill a school district must adopt a policy and transmit a copy of its policy to the county superintendent of schools by September 1, 2002. In order to assist the school districts in developing their policies, the Commissioner of Education must develop a model policy no later than December 1, 2001.
The bill requires school employees, students or volunteers who have witnessed, or have reliable information that a student has been subject to, harassment, intimidation or bullying to report the incident to the appropriate school official. The bill prohibits school employees, students or volunteers from engaging in reprisal, retaliation or false accusation against any victim, witness or any person with reliable information about an act of harassment, intimidation or bullying. A school employee who promptly reports an incident of harassment, intimidation or bullying to the appropriate school official is granted immunity under the provisions of the bill from a cause of action for damages arising from any failure to remedy the reported incident.