NJ Education Report

NJ Spotlight reports on the “circuitous” route of the Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying legislation, which was undermined by a recent decision by the Council on Local Mandates that the bill was an unfunded mandate. The impetus for the bill was the wretched circumstances of Tyler Clementi’s suicide after fellow Rutgers students harassed him for his sexual orientation. (Here’s today’s New York Times update on the trial.)

Now, however, the Christie Administration has reached an agreement to provide $1 million in grant funding to help districts pay for professional development and programming. Here’s the press release from Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle and Senator Barbara Buono, co-sponsors of the bill.