Balance between safety and free speech
I too commend McClure Middle School’s principal for suspending 28 students for bullying a classmate on the Internet [“Zero tolerance for cyberbullying,” Opinion, Jan. 22]. As your editorial states, cases of cyberbullying are on the rise in our state and we must do more to stop cyberbullying in our schools.
Our state’s very first anti-bullying legislation was passed in 2002 and we have continued to work to ensure the law addresses the changing venues of bullying — including the Internet. Several years ago, the Legislature added “cyberbullying” to our state’s definition of bullying and required the state School Directors’ Association to develop a model policy that schools could use to help address this aspect of bullying. We required that this policy include provisions for educating parents about the severity of cyberbullying as well as what options are available for students who are victims of cyberbullying.
This is an incredibly challenging issue to address, as we must find a balance between maintaining safe schools and protecting all Americans’ rights to free speech. These important matters should not be sacrificed for the other. But we will continue to strive to find the balance because all our kids need to feel safe at school to succeed.
— Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, Seattle