If you have some free time, check out a special session of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights recorded by C-SPAN last week.
The session on “Anti-Bully Measures” begins with emotional testimony from Tammy Aaberg, a Minnesota mother whose son Justin killed himself last summer following years of bullying and harassment at the hands of other students because he was gay.
In light of our May article on this subject, what follows is an intriguing discussion on the Office of Civil Rights “Dear Colleague” letter sent last fall by the Department of Education, the legalities of free speech, school liability, and the role of either local governments or the federal government on response to bullying and harassment.
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Tragedy struck in Carlisle County, Kentucky, on Monday when a 6-year-old boy died after being ejected from a school bus on its way back to school following a field trip. The driver reportedly swerved to avoid hitting a deer, and the bus rolled over. Several of the other 30 first and second graders on board the bus were also injured. A subsequent report discussed the praise school officials had for the children, who remained calm and followed directions from their teachers, the bus driver and emergency personnel.
Based on STN research, the boy was the 10th school bus-related fatality since the beginning of 2011 and the second as a result of a crash. Seven other children were killed in or around the school bus loading/unloading zone. Another child was found dead in his wheelchair on board the bus. This brings the unofficial 2010-2011 school year tally to 21.
