Chocko
03-02-2008, 07:42 PM
Ending School Bullying
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Last Update: 3/01 5:45 pm </td> </tr></tbody></table>
http://www.kypost.com/media/news/7/8/6/786abf89-17b7-4b20-8114-3b490fe83c46/Story.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:void%280%29;) http://www.kypost.com/images/common/camera.jpgSlideshow (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:IDMStoryPhoto%28%27a0316f99-2406-4931-8dc5-d8f9d1242157%27,%200%29;)
The proposed legislation would send the loud and clear message that bullying is not OK by the state. (By: Jessica Noll/KyPost.com)
Reported by: Jessica Noll (http://www.kypost.com/content/aboutus/default.aspx)
Web produced by: Jessica Noll (http://www.kypost.com/content/aboutus/default.aspx)
For two redheaded 12-year-old girls and their mother who've gone before a judge in hopes the law won't be on the side of alleged bullies, a bill in Frankfort may just be the ally they need.
House Bill 91 or “The Golden Rule Act” might have helped the Sohnlein twins, who say they were bullied at Newport Middle School, this and last school years.
Former Newport Middle School sixth graders and cheerleaders Laci and Courtney Sohnlein, who now attend the seventh grade classes at Holy Trinity School, said they are much happier now that they've moved to a new school.
“There are less bullies,” Laci said.
But still there are bullies, she said, as there was at Southgate School, the first school that they transferred to after leaving Newport Middle where they say they endured more than a year of bullying.
“It’s an epidemic,” said Colleen Sohnlein, the girls’ mother. “There has to be a law out there to stop this.”
Colleen, who filed a lawsuit against the school district over the summer, is ready to roll up her sleeves and do whatever she has to help see the bill become law.
Based on the Golden Rule of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," House Bill 91 would make make bullying, including cyberbullying (bullying via the Internet), illegal and hopefully a thing of the past. At least that’s what Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, who sponsored the bill, would like to see happen.
Colleen said that when a group of about eight girls and four boys bullied her daughters on a regular basis, she went to teachers, the principal, vice principal, board of education and superintendent for help. She said they all did nothing.
The school board’s attorney Brandon Voelker said, however, that both the school and the Newport Police Department investigated the bullying allegations. The outcome of those investigations, however, is part of the ongoing court case.
“Girls threatened to cut their hair, jump them after school. They were scared to death. They were pushed, shoved,” Colleen recalled.
The bill, which has passed the House unanimously, would require schools statewide to initiate rules prohibiting bullying and to report such behaviors to the state Department of Education.
Teachers and school administrators would be required to attend training regarding the “code of acceptable behavior.”
Colleen said that couldn't happen soon enough at Newport.
“The school let me down, they don’t care,” she said. “When I can’t be there to look out for my daughters, I think the school should.”
She said one school board member even told her to stop coming to the board with her problems, but rather go to the parents of the bullies.
“She told me to ‘take care of it’ myself,” said Colleen.
But Voelker said that Janovic was referring to episodes that happened while the students were not in school.
“The school cannot police what kids do outside of school,” he said.
In minutes from the Feb. 28, 2007 board of education meeting, the following was listed:
Colleen Sohnlein, a parent of two middle school students, discussed bullying problems they are experiencing at the middle school. The Board suggested that Ms. Sohnlein meet with Mr. Goetz, Mr. Upchurch, and the SRO to resolve the problem. This issue is not isolated to Newport. Many schools across the country experience this daily.
“No matter what you do it may still happen,” Voelker said, regarding the last two sentences within the meeting minutes’ comments above. “Kids will do what kids will do—the mom is the problem here.”
Voelker said that Colleen was told to stay off of school grounds.
“Police had to intervene because the mom was approaching kids on school grounds.”
If it works, House Bill 91 should keep things from going that far.
According to the bill, rules would be required at each school that could mean suspension, explusion or other disciplinary action for any student who harasses, bullies, cyberbulles or intimidates another students.
But that doesn’t make the past any less painful for the Sohnlein sisters.
Laci still goes through physical therapy for injuries that Colleen said she suffered from a bully at Newport Middle School who knocked her unconscious and then proceeded to kick her back and neck. Both twins have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and see a counselor on a regular basis.
“They cried every night and morning, because they didn’t want to go to school. They were scared,” the girls' mom said.
Now, Colleen’s biggest fear isn’t that her daughters will get hurt at school, it’s that the judge will dismiss the case.
“If the judge throws it out, it will send a message that it’s OK.”
A Campbell County Circuit Court judge took statements from both the Sohnleins’ attorney and the Newport Independent School District’s attorney last month. But more importantly, Colleen said, was that the case was not dismissed although the school district sought that.
<table><tbody><tr valign="top"> <td>
Last Update: 3/01 5:45 pm </td> </tr></tbody></table>
http://www.kypost.com/media/news/7/8/6/786abf89-17b7-4b20-8114-3b490fe83c46/Story.jpg (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:void%280%29;) http://www.kypost.com/images/common/camera.jpgSlideshow (http://javascript%3Cb%3E%3C/b%3E:IDMStoryPhoto%28%27a0316f99-2406-4931-8dc5-d8f9d1242157%27,%200%29;)
The proposed legislation would send the loud and clear message that bullying is not OK by the state. (By: Jessica Noll/KyPost.com)
Reported by: Jessica Noll (http://www.kypost.com/content/aboutus/default.aspx)
Web produced by: Jessica Noll (http://www.kypost.com/content/aboutus/default.aspx)
For two redheaded 12-year-old girls and their mother who've gone before a judge in hopes the law won't be on the side of alleged bullies, a bill in Frankfort may just be the ally they need.
House Bill 91 or “The Golden Rule Act” might have helped the Sohnlein twins, who say they were bullied at Newport Middle School, this and last school years.
Former Newport Middle School sixth graders and cheerleaders Laci and Courtney Sohnlein, who now attend the seventh grade classes at Holy Trinity School, said they are much happier now that they've moved to a new school.
“There are less bullies,” Laci said.
But still there are bullies, she said, as there was at Southgate School, the first school that they transferred to after leaving Newport Middle where they say they endured more than a year of bullying.
“It’s an epidemic,” said Colleen Sohnlein, the girls’ mother. “There has to be a law out there to stop this.”
Colleen, who filed a lawsuit against the school district over the summer, is ready to roll up her sleeves and do whatever she has to help see the bill become law.
Based on the Golden Rule of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," House Bill 91 would make make bullying, including cyberbullying (bullying via the Internet), illegal and hopefully a thing of the past. At least that’s what Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, who sponsored the bill, would like to see happen.
Colleen said that when a group of about eight girls and four boys bullied her daughters on a regular basis, she went to teachers, the principal, vice principal, board of education and superintendent for help. She said they all did nothing.
The school board’s attorney Brandon Voelker said, however, that both the school and the Newport Police Department investigated the bullying allegations. The outcome of those investigations, however, is part of the ongoing court case.
“Girls threatened to cut their hair, jump them after school. They were scared to death. They were pushed, shoved,” Colleen recalled.
The bill, which has passed the House unanimously, would require schools statewide to initiate rules prohibiting bullying and to report such behaviors to the state Department of Education.
Teachers and school administrators would be required to attend training regarding the “code of acceptable behavior.”
Colleen said that couldn't happen soon enough at Newport.
“The school let me down, they don’t care,” she said. “When I can’t be there to look out for my daughters, I think the school should.”
She said one school board member even told her to stop coming to the board with her problems, but rather go to the parents of the bullies.
“She told me to ‘take care of it’ myself,” said Colleen.
But Voelker said that Janovic was referring to episodes that happened while the students were not in school.
“The school cannot police what kids do outside of school,” he said.
In minutes from the Feb. 28, 2007 board of education meeting, the following was listed:
Colleen Sohnlein, a parent of two middle school students, discussed bullying problems they are experiencing at the middle school. The Board suggested that Ms. Sohnlein meet with Mr. Goetz, Mr. Upchurch, and the SRO to resolve the problem. This issue is not isolated to Newport. Many schools across the country experience this daily.
“No matter what you do it may still happen,” Voelker said, regarding the last two sentences within the meeting minutes’ comments above. “Kids will do what kids will do—the mom is the problem here.”
Voelker said that Colleen was told to stay off of school grounds.
“Police had to intervene because the mom was approaching kids on school grounds.”
If it works, House Bill 91 should keep things from going that far.
According to the bill, rules would be required at each school that could mean suspension, explusion or other disciplinary action for any student who harasses, bullies, cyberbulles or intimidates another students.
But that doesn’t make the past any less painful for the Sohnlein sisters.
Laci still goes through physical therapy for injuries that Colleen said she suffered from a bully at Newport Middle School who knocked her unconscious and then proceeded to kick her back and neck. Both twins have been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and see a counselor on a regular basis.
“They cried every night and morning, because they didn’t want to go to school. They were scared,” the girls' mom said.
Now, Colleen’s biggest fear isn’t that her daughters will get hurt at school, it’s that the judge will dismiss the case.
“If the judge throws it out, it will send a message that it’s OK.”
A Campbell County Circuit Court judge took statements from both the Sohnleins’ attorney and the Newport Independent School District’s attorney last month. But more importantly, Colleen said, was that the case was not dismissed although the school district sought that.