New York State Amends Dignity for All Students Act to Include Cyberbullying

By The Editorial Team

Here is a link to a Harris Beach Legal Alert that talks about the recent amendment to the state’s education law in relation to prohibiting bullying and cyberbullying in public schools. Governor Cuomo signed the legislation on July 9, 2012.  The amendment not only broadens the underlying definitions upon which the original Dignity for All Students Act was based, but also adds several new items to school districts’ plans for implementation.  Of related interest is the interaction between this law and local cyberbullying laws. We first wrote about this in March following Erie County’s approval of a local law that makes cyberbullying a crime.  In the coming weeks, we will post a blog examining several counties’ laws on cyberbullying with the goal of giving our audience a perspective of what various communities are doing.