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Aug
30

Workplace becomes new schoolyard for bullies

Mike Tully on August 30th, 2011

Many adults shake their heads in dismay over bullying that targets children and teenagers online and in school; they even push for lawmakers and schools to do more to stop the harassment. But many are afraid to admit another dirty little secret: Bullying is just as big a problem for the adults in the workplace. [...]

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Aug
22

Bullies going online with Facebook posts

Mike Tully on August 22nd, 2011

Facebook has become a breeding ground for nasty comments and embarrassing stories for kids to post about each other, according to five female Great Valley High School students. Students comment on pictures, calling a person names, or make comments and accusations on someone’s Facebook page that are sexual in nature, said the girls, who asked [...]

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Jul
18

Lawmakers Seek Workplace Bullying Legislation (MA)

Mike Tully on July 18th, 2011

BOSTON — With a school bullying law now on the books, state lawmakers are considering a measure that would make bullying illegal in the workplace too. Amherst Rep. Ellen Story, who is co-sponsoring the proposal, says she’s heard testimony from people treated so badly by a co-worker or supervisor they had to be hospitalized. MORE [...]

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Jun
23

LEAKED: UK copyright lobby holds closed-door meetings with gov’t to discuss national Web-censorship regime

Mike Tully on June 23rd, 2011

A group of UK copyright lobbyists held confidential, closed-door meetings with Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries to discuss a plan to allow industry groups to censor the Internet in the UK. The proposal has leaked, and it reveals a plan to establish “expert bodies” that would decide which websites British people [...]

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Jun
17

Third Circuit Court weighs in on conflicting cases involving off-campus online speech by students

Mike Tully on June 17th, 2011

(NOTE:  Courtesy of the Cyberbullying Research Center.) As we have discussed several times on this blog in recent years, there are two cases that addressed issues with off-campus online speech by students that resulted in seemingly conflicting responses by the same court. They potentially have implications for how schools can respond to cyberbullying incidents, so [...]

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Jun
15

GUEST OPINION: Tennessee Senate’s “Don’t Say Gay Bill” Passes

Mike Tully on June 15th, 2011

(Note:  Warren Blumenfeld was a presenter at the 7th Annual Conference of the International Bullying Prevention Association last November, which is when I had a chance to meet and speak with him.  This space will run guest columns from time to time as the situation warrants.  Please let me know your reaction to this piece [...]

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Jun
9

Steel Valley teacher charged with sexting students (PA)

Mike Tully on June 9th, 2011

A Steel Valley High School teacher was formally arraigned Tuesday on charges that she sent sexual messages to two underage students. Jennifer Smith, 29, is charged with a series of felonies, including child endangerment, criminal solicitation and corruption of minors, following an investigation by Munhall police and the Allegheny County district attorney’s office. Prosecutors say [...]

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Jun
7

Congressman Weiner and Sexting Amongst Friends

Mike Tully on June 7th, 2011

We like to warn our children about many things and lately sexting has been on the top of the list. We caution against it, put applications in place to prevent it, and even treat kids as criminals over it. However, it is us adults who are getting far more press about it lately than kids [...]

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Jun
4

When Teachers Talk Out of School (NYT)

Mike Tully on June 4th, 2011

IN 1927, a schoolteacher in Secaucus, N.J., named Helen Clark lost her teaching license. The reason? Somebody had seen her smoking cigarettes after school hours. In communities across the United States, that was a ground for dismissal. So was card-playing, dancing and failure to attend church. Even after Prohibition ended, teachers could be dismissed for [...]

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May
26

Racy Photos Case Tests Freedom of Student Speech

Mike Tully on May 26th, 2011

An Indiana school district is arguing that two girls who were disciplined over online photos in which they posed with phallic lollipops cannot go to trial on free-speech claims because their behavior was “wholly inconsistent with the fundamental values of a public education.” The case tests whether school administrators can stretch beyond campus limits and [...]

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