Legal Articles, Other
An Overview of Legal Issues Relating to Bullying and Cyberbullying in Connecticut
The purpose of this article is to explore the laws, statutes, and cases relating to school bullying in Connecticut, specifically “cyberbullying,” and to provide an overview of the types of legal avenues that may be available to a victim of bullying.
Court Gives Plaintiff in Bullying Case Green Light to Proceed to Trial
In August 2006 Robert and Louise Dornfried filed suit against the Berlin Board of Education, its former and current superintendents, the principal, the athletic director, and the coach of the Berlin High School football team on behalf of their minor son, Robby. Robby’s parents alleged on their son’s behalf that, while a student at the high school and a place-kicker on the varsity football team, he was subjected to “incessant bullying, harassment, intimidation and was the victim of threats and/or acts of violence” by his teammates.
Growing Awareness Surrounding Bullying of Students with Disabilities in Fairfield County
Bullying has gained the attention of the media over recent years, but despite the focused spotlight, bullying is rampant in our society. Among the easiest targets are children with special needs. They are, on average, at a greater risk to be bullied than their non-disabled counterparts. This is in part because special education children make easy targets. It is often harder for children with disabilities to recognize which behaviors are socially appropriate and those that are not.
Connecticut School Districts and Bullying: What Can Parents Do?
Connecticut School Districts and Bullying: What Can Parents Do?
Another Case Against the School District, Town Jumps Summary Judgment Hurdle
In a negligence action, the Superior Court of Connecticut at Danbury denied a motion for summary judgment filed by the Town of New Milford, the New Milford Board of Education, and several school employees (collectively the defendants). The Court was not persuaded that the defendants enjoyed governmental immunity from suit, or the claim that they did not owe a duty to a student-victim assaulted by another student on school grounds.
When is Cyberbullying a Crime?
When Connecticut amended its anti-bullying law in 2011, it included a new provision requiring the school principal, or the principal’s designee, “to notify the appropriate local law enforcement agency when such principal, or the principal’s designee, believes that any acts of bullying constitute criminal conduct.”[1] What is not made clear in the revised law is what kind of conduct may rise to a criminal level. A victim of bullying may have a claim under a civil tort theory in an instance where the level of bullying does not constitute a crime. However, some provisions of Connecticut’s criminal law may be implicated by severe, pervasive, or egregious instances of bullying in schools. So, when is cyberbullying a crime?
On “An Act Concerning Educational Reform” in Connecticut
On “An Act Concerning Educational Reform” in Connecticut
Can a Student Be Expelled from School for Carrying a Weapon off School Property in Connecticut?
Can a Student Be Expelled from School for Carrying a Weapon off School Property in Connecticut?
What Authority Does a Local School Board Have to Expel a Student for Out-of-School Conduct in Connecticut?
What Authority Does a Local School Board Have to Expel a Student for Out-of-School Conduct in Connecticut?
Search and Seizure: Your Child’s Fourth Amendment Rights in School
As drugs and weapons infiltrate our nation’s schools, it is imperative that school officials take the necessary steps to maintain safety and preserve order in your child’s school. With that being said, your child has a right to privacy and school officials must not be overzealous in their investigation of alleged violations of school policy. The following will provide you, as a parent, with a basic understanding of the rights your child has as well as the requirements your child’s school must adhere to regarding the search of his or her person or property while in school.
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