Princeton Schools Preparing to Implement New Anti-Bullying Requirements

Princeton Regional Schools are preparing to implement the new statewide anti-bullying law that goes into effect son Sept.1.

Superintendent Judy Wilson told the board of education this week that the new law will require the board to implement a 23-page anti-bullying policy, appoint a site coordinator at each school and one for the district, expand the requirements for reporting incidents of bullying and provide training for faculty, board members and administrators.

Gov. Chris Christie signed the new bill into law in January, after legislation gained momentum in the wake of Rutgers University student Tyler Clementi who committed suicide over alleded bullying last fall. 

This week, Wilson called the new state process “highly micromanaged” and comes with no state funding.

Under the new state law, schools will now be required to include harassment and intimidation in its reports on bullying.

Single incidents – as opposed to patterns of bullying- will also be reportable under the new law.

“By virtue of that, we will see our numbers increase under this reporting,” Wilson told the board.

Princeton Schools had about five bullying incidents last year.

“The cases that we deal with that are true bullying are ugly and insidious,” Wilson said. “Fortunately, they are few in number.”

Board member Dan Haughton said the district should put the focus on education about bullying, which Wilson said she agreed with wholeheartedly.

“We will comply with the state but our focus will always be on how we model, how we speak, how we reprimand and how we discipline,” Wilson said.