Bravo, New Jersey! This is what we call taking action!
In the wake of the horrible death of Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers college student who took his life because of bullying, the state Senate and Assembly passed the “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights,” a piece of legislation that has been on the floor now for almost eight years, but is finally getting the attention it deserves.
According to Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle of Bergen County, the legislation “makes it clear that preventing and responding to incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying are not optional.├óΓé¼┬¥ The bill would implement training programs in public schools to teach employees on how to spot bullying. It also puts into effect a system where the superintendents would have to report incidents of bullying to the state Board of Education, which would then grade schools and districts on their effectiveness in handling the situations.
The bill passed with an overwhelming response: 71-1, with 5 abstentions. It now awaits Governor Chris Christie’s signature.
Don’t hesistate, sir! Put it right into action! Set an example for the rest of the country!