New Hampshire's Virtual Town Hall
A bully's penalty remains a secret
According to an article in the Manchester Union Leader:
"School officials can't tell parents of a bullying victim what punishment a bully received, despite a revamped state law that strengthens protections against bullying and cyberbullying.
'For parents, it's frustration because they want to be reassured that the district, the principal or whomever actually provided what they believed to be a reasonable punishment for bullying,' Derry Superintendent Mary Ellen Hannon said in an interview last week.
School districts across the state are working to draft policies by Jan. 1 to comply with the law that went into effect in July. The law calls for school officials to report back in writing to the parents of the bully and parents of the victim within 10 days of completing their investigation. The written communication addresses the school's response, but only to the extent allowed by existing state and federal law.
A federal law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, prohibits school officials from disclosing punishments beyond notifying the parents or guardian of the bully, just as academic records are shielded from public view, according to Kathleen Murphy, director for the division of instruction for the state Department of Education."
For the full story, click here.
"School officials can't tell parents of a bullying victim what punishment a bully received, despite a revamped state law that strengthens protections against bullying and cyberbullying.
'For parents, it's frustration because they want to be reassured that the district, the principal or whomever actually provided what they believed to be a reasonable punishment for bullying,' Derry Superintendent Mary Ellen Hannon said in an interview last week.
School districts across the state are working to draft policies by Jan. 1 to comply with the law that went into effect in July. The law calls for school officials to report back in writing to the parents of the bully and parents of the victim within 10 days of completing their investigation. The written communication addresses the school's response, but only to the extent allowed by existing state and federal law.
A federal law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, prohibits school officials from disclosing punishments beyond notifying the parents or guardian of the bully, just as academic records are shielded from public view, according to Kathleen Murphy, director for the division of instruction for the state Department of Education."
For the full story, click here.
Views: 5
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Cyndi Desrosiers on -
I was on the committee which drafted this new law and have been involved in other state bullying prevention laws as well. The issue really should not be for parents to know the exact punishment or consequence that the child who was the perpetrator received, but the fact that the issue did indeed get dealt with appropriately. Each school should have a rubric of consequences so that students are treated fairly and consistently across the board. The victim of a bullying incident needs to be reassured that the perpetrator has been spoken to and other students need to know that the perpertrator is getting the needed behavior modifications to correct the behavior. The focus should not be on WHAT the punishment was but that the bullying actually was addressed. If Administrators within a school system have respect and have earned the trust of parents, this should not be an issue.
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