Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • September 14, 2011 FLOW Area Anti-bullying policy update on board’s agenda by Frank J. McMahon In response to The Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, a new state law that recently took effect, the Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education was expected to adopt an updated harassment, intimidation, and bullying policy at this week’s public meeting. The new state law provides additional levels of protection against harassment, intimidation, and bullying, and contains more than two dozen provisions affecting all levels of K-12 schools. Under the new law, all school officials and educators, from teachers to administrators to trustees, must receive training; each school district must designate an anti-bullying coordinator; and each school must have an antibulling specialist and a safety team. The law establishes a specific process, with strict deadlines, to investigate bullying complaints, and there are additional reporting requirements for superintendents who must report at a public hearing of the school board all acts of violence, vandalism, and bullying that occurred during the previous reporting period. The district’s policy defines harassment, intimidation, or bullying as “any gesture, any written, verbal or physical act, or any electronic communication, as defined in state law, whether it be a single incident or a series of incidents” that meet certain criteria. Those criteria include acts that could reasonably be perceived as being motivated by either any actual or perceived characteristic, such as race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, a mental, physical, or sensory disability, or any other distinguishing characteristic. The criteria also include an incident that takes place on school property, at any school-sponsored function, on a school bus, or off school grounds as provided for in state law that substantially disrupts or interferes with the orderly operation of the school or the rights of other pupils. Another criteria is if a reasonable person should know, under the circumstances, that the act or acts will have the effect of physically or emotionally harming a pupil or damaging the pupil’s property, or placing a pupil in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm to his or her person or damage to his or her property. In addition, the criteria include an act that has the effect of insulting or demeaning any pupil or group of pupils, or creates a hostile educational (continued on page 10)