Current policy will be amended to match state's language
By KERRI BARTLETT
Brentwood Home Page
With “cyber-bullying” becoming more prevalent in society, the state has added the term to anti-bullying policies in order to be more specific in its terminology in identifying the different forms of bullying. Williamson County Schools will soon follow suit.

At a recent board meeting, members discussed the motion to add the term “cyber-bullying” to the WCS School Board Policies manual regarding anti-bullying section 6.3032 in order to align their policies with the state’s recent language changes.  

The amendment will undergo a second reading, or final vote, by the school board on Jan. 16.

“The message is that we are going to protect students from any form of bullying that interferes with the educational process, including cyber bullying. We need to hear from students if it is happening to them. Tell your teacher, counselor, school administrator, so that we can investigate and do something about it,” Jason Golden, COO and general counsel of WCS said.

The addition of the term will be a formality in Williamson County, which has already taken measures to protect students.

“We continue to enforce the existing bullying policy which has broad language that encompasses any type of bullying” Golden explained.  

School board member Terry Leve noted, “We have always covered cyber-bullying in the policy as a form of bullying, and we will continue to do so.”

Although the only change to the anti-bullying policy will be added language, the school board wants to ensure that board policies reference state law and that children are protected.  

For more information, please visit http://www.wcs.edu/boardpolicy/sect6/63032.pdf or http://www.tn.gov/sos/acts/107/pub/pc0251.pdf.