The problem with this, of course, is that cyber bullying is a huge problem, and some parents don't know about it, or are bullies themselves and so don't see the problem. Cyberbullying drives teens to suicide, or in to depression, and schools get sued by the parents of the victim if they are on notice and do not intervene. So schools are caught in the middle here.
Clearly hoops need to be jumped through- but this is the reason why districts have lawyers on staff. They're needed all the time. I've always got our legal status in the back of my mind when I do things, or when I see other people on campus doing things. It's amazing how careless people can be- so I usually write the principal and tell him we have a lawsuit waiting to happen, and then he fixes whatever situation I've seen (though he, himself, as oked a few iffy situations).
It's difficult to teach AND keep the law in your mind, just as it's difficult to administrate and do that. But it's rare that these things violate the law, which is why this case from MN is making national headlines. Most of the time, in most of the schools in the country, things are going as they should. |
