Doe Vs. Covington and schools in Texas

I was surprised when I contacted a mother from a youtube video under coxxranch (4 videos) that the schools are so hard to work with in the complaint process. You can only present evidence in the first hearing with the school, and all further hearings no further evidence can be introduced. I was intrigued, and then I heard about Doe vs. Covington, the case that has landed a precedent that somehow (I don't know how) correlated to the bullying cases in Texas that are being thrown out.

Doe vs. Covington

This case was about a 9 year old girl who was checked out of school by Tommy Keyes (not a family member) and the superior court ruled that Keyes was a private actor, and the school was not liable for releasing the child only to be sexually abused by him. The court ruled that the school was not responsible as they could not have foreseen the incident that was to take place at the hands of a private actor. 

What does this have to do with Texas?

In Texas, mothers who are trying to get bullying/peer abuse addressed with their school are often hearing Doe vs. Covington as a way for them to avoid the law. In one case, the mother told me about how the fines would disappear if the kids would fight and the administrators would bet on these fights. I imagine this isn't in all the schools, but parents need to be aware of what is going on, and what to expect if they are bringing up Doe vs. Covington as a way to avoid the states law on bullying. 

Really, Betting on Fights?

First off, you don't bet on children in fights, and secondly schools need to be accountable for these occurrences, as no one is above the law. I have heard that judges and even advocates are routinely paid off to look the other way, and leave the parent wondering what happened. This is not all, in some cases supposed advocates (in southern states) have charged parents up to 2,000.00 to help them, when for almost 5 years I haven't charged a dime, and these crooks have slashed the tires of administrators and did nothing further in the form of resolution with the school. 

If you are looking for a service, and the advocate charges you money, chances are your getting duped. Advocate sites already have information on them of what to do in documentation, and what you need to know as a parent.

Check out this lawsuit
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/05/29/Bullying.pdf?utm_source=June+2012+Newsletter&utm_campaign=Newsletter&utm_medium=email

If you have a question feel free to email me at pkefdr@aol.com

Paralyzing Punch Nets 4.2 Million

RAMSEY, N.J. — A New Jersey school district has agreed to pay $4.2 million to settle a lawsuit by a middle school student who was paralyzed when a known bully punched him in the abdomen.

The settlement between the Ramsey school district and the family of Sawyer Rosenstein, who had complained to the district about being bullied, was worked out over the past two months but not made public until last week.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/jersey-bully-paralyzing-punch-nets-4-2m-settlement-article-1.1064125#ixzz1sYrun7hN

Need guests on The Anderson Cooper Show

Earlier this week, I was contacted by Taurence Armstrong, a Production Assistant for the Anderson Cooper Show.

Here are excerpts of his email to me:

Our show realizes that bullying is a major problem and needs national attention — and we really want to shine a light on the issue.

We are looking for bullies, victims, and their parents, who may be willing to share their stories with us. We want to arm the victims both on set and in our audiences with the tools needed to become, as you said, survivors. We want to help the bullies understand the issue to the best of our abilities, with trained experts. We want parents to understand the harmful ramifications of bullying, and why they must act now.

We want as many stories as we can get. Our producers also want two-sided stories, ones where we can talk to a bully and a victim, with integrity and all necessary precautions.

We plan on empowering our audience on this issue, and with your help, I hope we can. We plan on taping the show next week, so we need stories as soon as possible. Please don't hesitate to reach out to your network.

Please update me as soon as you can. Again, a pleasure talking to you!

Best,

Taurence Armstrong
Production Assistant, "Anderson"

If you, or someone you know can help Taurence, please email him at Taurence.Armstron@andersoncooper.com

CBS Special - 48 Hours - Bullying: Words Can Kill

Kevin Epling, BPUSA, Co-Director, may be included in an interview on a CBS News/48 Hours Special called, "Bullying: Words Can Kill.

Watch for the special on Friday, September 16, at 8:00 pm (check your local listings and times).

To read a little about what Kevin is doing, go to the link below.

http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20110911/ELANSING01/109110423/East-Lansing-Ground-zero-for-anti-bullying?odyssey=tab|mostpopular|text|FRONTPAGE

To order the "Bullycide in America" book, go to www.bullycide.org or www.bullypolice.com.

A boy on Fire - Put the fire out with Dr Pepper?

I was astounded at the type of people, no, sub-human people, this boy had the misfortune of staying with for a sleep-over. What kind of people would throw water on a burning carpet and Dr Pepper on a boy who was on fire? ...I can answer that - This was the family of a juvenile delinquent who put perfume on a boy and then lit him on fire. That says a lot.

The next question - What will law enforcement do about this?

Read the whole story at http://www.aolnews.com/2011/02/25/tennessee-teen-charged-with-setting-james-whalen-12-on-fire-du/?flv=1


..."He had second- and third-degree burns on his hands, his arm, his chest, his face and his neck," she said.

James told his mother he was sleeping when he was doused with cologne and set on fire.

"I smelt cologne all over me, and the next thing I knew, I felt fire," James told WTVF-TV.

James said he ran to get help and fell down a flight of stairs, landing in front of a group of adults. His clothes and the carpet he was lying on were on fire, he said.

"They grabbed whole lots of water, throwing it on the carpet. Then all they could find for me was Dr Pepper, thrown on me," the boy said.

A note about "Bullycide in America"

DOUBLE YOUR SOFT BOUND BOOK ORDERS
FOR ALL DECEMBER 2010 ORDERS

For the month of December, all (yes ALL) soft bound book
orders will be doubled - order one book, get an extra book, order a
case, get an extra case. It won't say that you got a double order on
your order receipt, but you WILL receive a double order in the mail.

Go to www.BullyPolice.com for more information

Government warns schools that bullying can violate civil rights laws

Washington (CNN) -- Bullying and harassment in schools often includes violations of federally protected civil rights, the federal government warned Tuesday in new guidelines for educators on how to address the problem.

If school administrators fail to properly deal with harassment based on gender, race or other issues, they risk being cited for contributing to a pattern of civil rights violations that could, in extreme cases, lead to a cut in federal funding, according to top officials who spoke to reporters on a conference call about the new guidelines.

"In extreme cases, schools could be stripped of their federal education monies if they don't comply with all of our civil rights laws," said Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for civil rights. Also on the call were Arne Duncan, secretary of education, and White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes.

The issue of harassment gained prominence this year after a spate of suicides by students who were being bullied. President Obama has called for greater awareness of the problem, saying the nation must "dispel the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up."

The guidelines were part of a letter that began "Dear Colleague" sent Tuesday to thousands of schools, colleges, universities and school districts around the country that included examples of bullying and harassment cases that constituted violations of federal civil rights laws.

In addition, the government said the White House will host a conference next year on preventing bullying and harassment, building on efforts by Duncan's department and other agencies.

In August, the Obama administration hosted the first National Bullying Summit and launched a national campaign against bullying.

Ali said the government proposed $410 million in fiscal year 2011 spending for "successful, safe and healthy students," a 12 percent increase over 2010.

In a statement Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union welcomed the new government guidelines for making clear that most religious, gender and sexual harassment comes under federal civil rights prohibitions, but it called for expanding the federal law to eliminate any doubt.

"Though the guidance goes far under current law, it does not replace having a federal statute that explicitly protects" lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students, said Laura Murphy, the director of the ACLU's Washington legislative office.

Murphy called for Congress to pass the Student Non-Discrimination Act, a bill pending in the House and Senate that the ACLU said would guarantee that homosexual and transgender students are explicitly protected from harassment and discrimination under federal law.

The issue of harassment gained prominence this year after a spate of suicides by students who were being bullied. President Obama has called for greater awareness of the problem, saying the nation must "dispel the myth that bullying is just a normal rite of passage or an inevitable part of growing up."

The guidelines were part of a letter that began "Dear Colleague" sent Tuesday to thousands of schools, colleges, universities and school districts around the country that included examples of bullying and harassment cases that constituted violations of federal civil rights laws.

Story found at http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/10/26/schools.bullying.discrimination/index.html