LEGAL ONE Provides Training throughout State on
New Anti-Bullying Law
On January 5, 2011, Governor Christie signed into law the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights. The new law, which goes into effect this September, includes major changes in how school districts investigate, address and report bullying incidents. (Click here to read "The Evolving Law on Bullying" from the Winter 2010 issue of Legally Speaking, which summarizes the new law.)
The new law includes a requirement for all school leaders, anti-bullying specialists, teachers and other staff who have contact with students to receive training on the new requirements for identifying, addressing and preventing harassment, intimidation and bullying. LEGAL ONE has responded to the need for training on the new law by offering comprehensive professional development opportunities for school districts. More than one thousand school leaders and other educators have already registered for LEGAL ONE’s anti-bullying training.
The training has been offered at FEA, through in-district trainings that are scheduled to meet the needs of specific districts, and via countywide and regional training sessions, including recent countywide trainings in Hunterdon County and upcoming countywide trainings targeted to Mercer County on May 24 and June 27 and Monmouth/Ocean Counties on May 17. (Click here to download a PDF of the LEGAL ONE Advanced Anti-Bullying flyer and to register for upcoming trainings.)
In these training sessions, participants learn about:
- The revised statutory definition of "harassment, intimidation or bullying" and the practical implications of the amended definition;
- The role of the new Anti-bullying specialist who must be in place in every school and must be either a school counselor, school psychologist or other similarly trained person;
- The role of the district Anti-Bullying Coordinator;
- The stringent new timelines and detailed procedures for investigating and reporting on alleged bullying incidents;
- The new training requirements for all school employees, students, parents and volunteers;
- The legal parameters for addressing conduct away from school grounds;
- The changes that are required in district policies and procedures;
- The makeup and role of the new School Safety Team that must be in place in every school;
- The potential disciplinary consequences for school employees who fail to comply with the new law;
- The due process rights of parents and students;
- The new system for grading schools on how they address bullying and harassment;
- The implications of recent legal decisions;
- How to apply key legal principles in real-world situations through small-group discussions and extensive Q & A opportunities; and
- The critical steps school districts should take immediately to minimize potential legal liability.
If you are interested in attending a LEGAL ONE Advanced anti-bullying training session before the law takes effect in September, please contact Rita Carter at rcarter@njpsa.org, or by phone at (609) 860-1200.