NJ Senator Calls For Anti-Bully Law After Rutgers Suicide

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. — The president of Rutgers University says the university responded appropriately to a complaint by a student whose gay sexual encounter was broadcast online that his roommate was spying on him with a webcam.

Richard McCormick told The Star-Ledger of Newark on Thursday that he personally reviewed Tyler Clementi's student records after the 18-year-old freshman committed suicide.

McCormick says, "I believe we did all we could and we did the right thing."

He declined to be more specific, citing student privacy laws.

The Star-Ledger earlier reported that prosecutors had subpoenaed Rutgers for e-mails concerning its handling of Clementi's complaint.

Clementi's roommate and another freshman have been charged with invasion of privacy. Authorities are considering bias crime charges.

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Information from: The Star-Ledger, http://www.nj.com/starledger

Comments

[Mark Olmsted]

08:02 PM on 10/07/2010

A different approach to bullying: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-olmsted/bullying-and-gay-teens-ch_b_754159.html

[goodmarina]

04:03 PM on 10/07/2010

This is an exchange between me & a HP user that highlights why Bullying exists:

RatPack78  35 minutes ago (3:15 PM) 
 
What has happened to personal responsibility in this country? There are either laws to try and prevent you from making mistakes (which limits your freedom) or bailouts or lawsuits to compensate you if you do make a mistake.

Goodmarina:
so the person being bullied is personally responsible for the actions of the bully?

Ratpack78:
He is responsible for how he handles the bullying. Certainly responsible for taking his own life

Goodmarina:
a child who is 9, 10, 11 and 12 ... is responsible for how he/she handles the bullies?

and is resonsible for taking his/her own life because he lacked the intellectual capacity, strength in character ... or personal power (that us adults enjoy)?

i pray that you never have to look into the eyes of a child who tells you: "i have done everything i can.   if this does not stop ... i don't know what else i can do ... but die"

also... i hope you never have to put a child with disabilities in public school ... and know the hollow feeling you get in your stomach when you hear that they were physically attacked by other kids ...   b/c how is it this disabled child's fault?  what ... b/c he was born that way?

may you never know what it is like for a kid who has learning disabilities to be taunted, be called stupid, idiot ... and everything else and ridiculed day after day.   the beating these children takes leaves marks that are seered into their souls & spirits for a lifetime.

[valeskas]

04:29 PM on 10/07/2010

Yes something needs to be done, today parents do not pay attention to their kids. Years ago you were punished when you did wrong at school or your friends. Punishment at home was a lot worse, then punishment at school. I remember a young boy in my class, that had dyslexia and some of the kids laught at him, back then we did not know about dyslexia and even the teacher thought, he was just lazy. The thing is parents are not there to teach our kids the right way and if somebody calls the parents in, about their childs behavior, the parents get upset and do nothing about. The question is, those two people you addressed, maybe never had children or they are not compassioned. It is time that we get together as neighbors and friends and stop this hatred, to make fun of it, or make the person getting attacked by hatred, responsible, does not help us, but some people thrive on controversy.

[Jose 58]

03:51 PM on 10/07/2010

Too many laws will cause the shutting down of the type of news that HP is famous for. I wonder if that's the ultimate goal of the elitist status quo.

[sturat]

03:51 PM on 10/07/2010

i guess someone must have told this clueless senator that this happens.

[Sharon Hunt]

03:57 PM on 10/07/2010

at least he is doing SOMETHING....

[TeeSC]

07:10 PM on 10/07/2010

and i guess someone didn't tell you that it SHOULDN'T happen. 

[zanderofnola]

03:42 PM on 10/07/2010

How about people start raising their children not to tolerate bullies! I was raised by a single mother and when I went home complaining about bullies I was told to punch them, so I did. I got a few black eyes, but also gave a few out. After about two months the bullying stopped. When did it become so fashionable to be a victim!

[Tracey Harrison]

06:21 PM on 10/07/2010

violence with violence, hmmmmm. Teaching a child who is being bullied to hit is wrong.

[redsquirell]

12:23 PM on 10/08/2010

teaching a kid to tolerate a beating is also wrong. " I would rather die on my feet than live on my knees". I taught my daughter to stand up for herself and to fight if someone was hitting her. She knew she shouldn't hit someone for saying something, but also knew if she allowed herself to be a punching bag, it would never stop. Seems harder to be a kid these days.

[goodmarina]

03:28 PM on 10/07/2010

anti-Bullying laws are not only appropriate - they need to be comprehensive and include the Bully, the parents (if they are minors) and teh schools -- that not just discuss the punitive - but also specific definitions and guidelines.

there's nothing knee-jerk-e or reactionary about these proposals.  nor is it subjective ... 

for death is the final place for many who travel down a road of being subject to unbearable cruelty. 

No Child should EVER consider death as a last resort because of the choices or actions of another child towards them.

Speak up for your children.  Speak up for your siblings.  Speak up for your neighbor's children ...

This is a nasty secret that is finally brewing to the top ... and as a society we must vow to stop this very preventable situation.

[robjh1]

03:26 PM on 10/07/2010

Another law. Don't we already have laws on the books? Enforce them.

[Sharon Hunt]

03:58 PM on 10/07/2010

you're cold. If there are no laws on the books regarding this situation, there should be.

[valeskas]

04:20 PM on 10/07/2010

You are right, we need to have laws for the internet, if people abuse it, they need to be punished. If someone dies because of their actions, even committing suicide, they should go to prison for that.

[bushitbrain]

03:18 PM on 10/07/2010

Correct motivation, WRONG M.O. !
There are laws against underage drinking. Has that stopped fraternities from booze orgies &/or legalized bullying, aka `Hazing' ? Hell No.
The toleration of bullies, both male & female, has been justified from elementary school to college for decades, in that its a sort of `adult-preschool for youth'. How are you going to stand up to them as adults, if you do not first learn as children ?. This is the sick mentality which has prohibited schools from taking action.
Of course the Reality is, that today's bullies, are tommorrow's criminals; only the venue has changed, from the schoolyard to the prisonyard, where beatings, rape, & murder are SOP. The isolation & harassment of individuals, based upon perceived weaknesses or personal appearance, is the basest level of human behavior, & that which is our strongest link to animalistic behavior.
We either utilize this tragic event as a rallying cry & turning point, or continue to tolerate this monstrosity. Which shall it be ?

[ie]

03:17 PM on 10/07/2010

Only had to read the headline to know the senator was a Dem.

[valeskas]

03:20 PM on 10/07/2010

GOP people have no heart. Just in for themselves.

[Sharon Hunt]

03:58 PM on 10/07/2010

fanned/faved.

[goodmarina]

03:28 PM on 10/07/2010

are bullies republicans or democrats?

or does it really not matter - becaues the person at the receiving end does not care, right?

[RatPack78]

03:15 PM on 10/07/2010

What has happened to personal responsibility in this country? There are either laws to try and prevent you from making mistakes (which limits your freedom) or bailouts or lawsuits to compensate you if you do make a mistake.

[goodmarina]

03:29 PM on 10/07/2010

so the person being bullied is personally responsible for the actions of the bully?

[RatPack78]

03:35 PM on 10/07/2010

He is responsible for how he handles the bullying. Certainly responsible for taking his own life.

[Jose 58]

03:06 PM on 10/07/2010

Another law to feed the egos of the police state legislators. No thank you.

[valeskas]

03:23 PM on 10/07/2010

So you agree with those haters, that people who are not like them, should be punished and that their private lifes will be put on the Web. I do not like news laws, but there are not enough laws yet outthere, to prevent harrassments on the web and that needs to change.

[Jose 58]

03:32 PM on 10/07/2010

Assualt and battery is still a crime. Harrassment is still a crime, along with many other laws. We have to be careful about contributing to the further formation of a police state. No I don't agree with the "haters".

[Sharon Hunt]

04:00 PM on 10/07/2010

what is wrong with you? This is a real problem, like it or not.

[ObamAtomic]

03:05 PM on 10/07/2010

More laws,those politicians are sedated with laws,why no use the existing laws,
always grabbing the lastly American tragedy to score a point and 15 seconds in the news .
Jobs ,Education, Health Care and war crimes investigations is a must.

[Shadow Weaver]

03:08 PM on 10/07/2010

well said.

[holeybuybull]

03:03 PM on 10/07/2010

Ridiculous. If people, including children, are sheltered from reality by this type of legislation, they don't learn how to cope with adversity. How are these children going to learn to stand up for themselves when they rely on a nanny state to fight even their verbal battles for them. This is another extension of political correctness that's going to create emotionally dependent people.
Legislate against "sticks and stones", not words and pictures.

[goodmarina]

03:29 PM on 10/07/2010

so ... are you saying that death (as the result of bullies) is political correctness gone wrong?

[Sharon Hunt]

04:00 PM on 10/07/2010

fanned/faved. I can't believe the excuses people are making on HP. Blame the victim,

[holeybuybull]

04:10 PM on 10/07/2010

What I'm saying is that my generation didn't need laws to protect itself from non-physical attacks, and that by supporting this legislation, we will produce crippled adults incapable of defending themselves and challenging the status quo. Would you take your own life because you were ridiculed? I wouldn't.

[DCmykl]

02:53 PM on 10/07/2010

"Molly is innocent??!!!" He should swallow his tongue and choke for even uttering such words.

[Honest-Frank]

02:42 PM on 10/07/2010

Seems like limiting speech to me. Who is to decide what is bullying and what is not? Pretty slipery slope is what we have.

[goodmarina]

03:30 PM on 10/07/2010

how about dead children?   who speaks for them?  

[Sharon Hunt]

04:02 PM on 10/07/2010

yes, its OK to record someone and put it on the internet. How would you feel about being recorded during an intimate moment and having that put on the internet? What is this country coming to.

[SantaFeConservative]

04:39 PM on 10/07/2010

There are already laws against that.