School District is Prepared to Implement New Anti-Bullying Law

Westwood Regional School District officials have taken the necessary steps to comply with the new anti-bullying legislation that takes effect this school year. While education officials said the district was actively working on bullying issues, the new law has required some policy changes.

Director of Elementary Education and District Technology Rory McCourt said state representatives went over the district policy, as was done throughout New Jersey, and provided feedback for changes.

Guidance Director Joan Mei went to state workshops and worked with a team to revise the district policy. She will serve as the point person on the anti-bullying issue. McCourt said the new policy will be posted on the district website.

One major change with the new legislation is that every allegation of bullying must be investigated in a specific manner with a documented procedure and in a certain amount of time. Schools must also have anti-bullying specialists and an anti-bullying team of teachers to monitor how the school is doing.

McCourt said there has been a lot of effort in the district to address bullying prior to the new legislation, citing a at and the addition of an elementary school guidance counselor to deal with bullying issues. The Anti-Bullying Club (TABC) operates out of and

"We've been working toward aggressively going after this for the past couple years," McCourt said. "We're continuing that work but making sure we're really following what the law tells us as far as procedures."

Part of the procedures dictates that the anti-bullying specialist and not an administrator does the initial investigation. In previous years, McCourt said administrators took a lead role.

McCourt said the definition of bullying has also changed.

"The general definition used to be that it was a repeated act where there was a clear imbalance of power between the parties involved," McCourt said. "Now that's changed. It doesn't need to be repeated. It can be a standalone act where there's a perceived notion that a student might be bullied."

Overall, McCourt sees the legislation in a positive light.

"It requires that districts very closely monitor potential bullying that may occur in their schools and react swiftly and appropriately when it does," he said.

While the Westwood Regional School District followed those guidelines previously, McCourt said employees will now adhere to the new rules.

Administrators received three hours of training from the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and McCourt said teachers receive required training Tuesday.

Teaching all in the district about the new policy is important, according to McCourt.

"This is a very nuanced, complex piece of legislation," he said.