Strengthen bullying laws

Another post about Jamey Rodemeyer's bullies not being brought to any legal justice. The need to make bullying illegal and equal to hate crime is becoming more and more evident. We should encourage our law makers and representatives to take action on this very important issue!

The fact that Amherst police have closed the investigation into the suicide of Williamsville North High School freshman Jamey Rodemeyer without any charges demonstrates the need for stronger laws against bullying.

Jamey, 14, killed himself in September after complaining about bullying and cyberbullying that had gone on for years. In closing the case, police said the actions were wrong, but not criminally prosecutable.

Amherst Police Chief John C. Askey admitted being disappointed at the outcome, and his department deserves credit for pursuing the case.

Police investigated seven bullying incidents involving Jamey, two of which occurred at Heim Middle School and five at Williamsville North. But, as is often the case with teen bullying, the alleged perpetrators were classmates, and as juveniles could not be held criminally accountable. In fact, the bullying would have been considered a violation, not even a misdemeanor, had they been adults.

Other reasons for the inability to prosecute include the expiration of the statute of limitations regarding incidents when Jamey was in sixth and seventh grade at Heim Middle School and the fact that the bullying was not reported when it occurred, only after Jamey died.

It's unfortunate that more couldn't be done. But, as Erie County District Attorney Frank A. Sedita III said, "It's not a crime to be an obnoxious, teenage idiot."

But there is stronger legislation on the horizon. The Dignity for All Students Act, which the New York State Legislature passed last year, takes effect on July 1, 2012. It bans harassment based on color, sexual orientation, race and other factors, while requiring school districts to report instances of bullying to the state Education Department and to increase training of school personnel.

However, that law does not address bullying through text messages, emails and social media, which is what Jamey suffered.

Several counties in the state have already passed stricter laws against cyberbullying, and Erie County Legislators Edward A. Rath III and Raymond W. Walter have proposed a county law that would make cyberbullying a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail.

 That kind of tougher action is needed at the state level to create a uniform law carrying real consequences for would-be bullies. One meaningful, comprehensive law would go a long way toward slowing cyberbullying.

Source: http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial-page/article648655.ece