On June 1, 2010, DLC Senior Attorney Janine A.
Solomon explained the new Massachusetts anti-bullying statute,
described by many as one of the country’s most progressive.
Ms. Solomon first recounted two recent bullying incidents in
which both victims took their own lives after repeated, cruel
taunts from classmates. Hopefully, the new law will prevent
more such tragedies. It prohibits bullying in public, private,
and charter schools, school sponsored events, bus stops, and
property that a school leases. It defines bullying broadly: it
prohibits bullying on the internet, sometimes known as “cyber
bullying”, and generally prohibits any repeated conduct that
creates a hostile environment for the victim. Schools must
educate school staff about how to identify bullying, who the
likely targets might be, and what their duty is to report.
Schools must also teach all students that bullying is prohibited
and how they can safely report incidents without retaliation,
and even anonymously if necessary. Schools must also develop
procedures to investigate bullying complaints and inform parents
about whatever corrective action they have taken. Finally, the
law recognizes that some special education students have
disabilities that make them more frequent targets of bullying.
It provides additional protections for these students and
requires that their Individual Education Programs (IEPs) address
ways to avoid bullying and to respond to it. Persons seeking
more information on this critically important law may call the
Disability Law Center at 1 800 872-9992.
