The district solicitor and the superintendent discussed the state HIB law, as well as announced the school’s progress in monitoring those investigations.
At the Board of Education work session last week, district Solicitor Joseph Betley gave a presentation on the New Jersey Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act, highlighting the definition and use of HIB — harassment, intimidation and bullying.
According to legislative findings presented, “harassment, intimidation or bullying is conduct that disrupts both a student’s ability to learn and a school’s ability to educate its students in a safe environment.”
Superintendent Joe Bollendorf reported from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 last year, there were 42 HIB investigations within the district. Of the 42, eight were found to be HIB violations, 30 were intervened or disciplined as incidences other than HIB, and four were inconclusive.
“Part of the HIB law, and part of the work of the school safety team, is to develop training and programs that are trying to create this culture at our schools where students and adults are treating each other with civility and respect,” Bollendorf said, “and to have a better understanding of when we’re not being civil or respectful, the damage that can cause on the population of our children and the suffering that can go on, sometimes in silence, that can lead to so many of the horror stories that many of you have seen in the newspapers or seen on social media, and we’re working against those things.”
Under the HIB law, the incident could be between students, staff and student, volunteer and student or contractor service provider and student, Betley explained. According to the proposed amendments, it could potentially be between a third-party adult and a student as well.
As specified by Betley, HIB is “any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act or any electronic communication.” The most commonly cited reason for being bullied is the individual’s physical appearance, he said.
HIB can be investigated through the schools as long as it takes place on school property, at school-sponsored events, school buses or off school grounds but with a relationship to the school. For example, if a student writes a post on social media that contains harassment, intimidation or bullying criteria, and also names a specific school, that is considered a HIB violation. According to Betley’s presentation, the First Amendment does not protect off-campus HIB.
During an investigation, if a reported incident is not found as a HIB violation, Betley insisted that does not mean the case is closed, or there are no consequences.
“We want to help address the understandings and coping mechanisms of our kids that are perhaps being bullied; creating environments for them where they feel like there’s people they can talk to and go to and we empower our other students to be those champions as well,” Bollendorf said.
At the meeting, Bollendorf announced the district received an average score of 70 for the district’s 11 buildings on the self-assessment conducted at the end of the school year by each school’s safety committee. The committee is made up of the school’s principal, its HIB specialist, two parents and two teachers per school. The committee rates the school’s performance based on 26 indicators given by the state. Three is the highest score a school can get on each of the indicators; the highest score a school can give itself is 78.
“In analyzing the work that we’re doing, it doesn’t just analyze the number of kids and how you handle them, it’s programming, interventions and strategies,” Bollendorf said. “It’s all of the things we’re being required and asked to do to implement our schools to address the issue of harassment, intimidation and bullying. We believe we’re doing as effective of a job as we can, and we’re always looking to improve and do more.”
