bethany koval has 7,584 twitter followers , counting. recently, these followers reminded koval 16-year-old high school student — 1 can called principal’s office.
offense? depends on whom ask.
koval student @ suburban fair lawn high school in new jersey, home of country’s toughest anti-bullying laws the
suicide of rutgers university freshman in 2010. may part of reason school administrators on alert when saw koval had been tweeting controversial statements israel, including 1 referring “pro-israel” classmate had unfollowed her.
earlier week, called principal’s office, recounted in series of tweets assistant principal showed printouts of tweets , asked, “do realize put out electronically can in trouble in school, or put in kind of problem?”
on
audio recording koval surreptitiously made , uploaded, can heard responding, “i haven’t put problematic out there. maybe controversial.”
“that’s interpretation,” assistant principal countered. “there’s state law might interpret different.”
pointed 1 tweet, dec. 27, read: “i’m sooooo glad pro-israel girl school unfollowed me! i’m free like…[expletive] israel.”
in tweet, koval, israeli jew herself, promised friend send name of “pro-israel girl” in private message. told
the gothamist did in fact send it, “but of course didn’t go farther. [my friend] didn’t know girl.”
according koval, assistant principal coerced writing statement describing events, despite objection didn’t want write without lawyer present.
school administrators, including principal,
reportedly searched koval’s phone because suspected recording meeting, , told sued department of education doing so.
later told rescind original statement , write new one, gothamist reports.
new jersey state law defines “harassment, intimidation or bullying” “any gesture, written, verbal or physical act, or electronic communication…that reasonably perceived being motivated either actual or perceived characteristic, such race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation…” either takes place on school property, @ school-sponsored event or off school grounds in way “substantially disrupts or interferes orderly operation of school or rights of other students.”
in addition, conduct must have “the effect of insulting or demeaning student or group of students” , must create “a hostile educational environment student …”
(the law imposes requirement reasonable person know conduct in question have effect of causing physical or emotional harm student or damaging student’s property or placing student in reasonable fear of physical or emotional harm or damage property.)
students found have committed acts of bullying can suspended or expelled.
these guidelines toughened after tyler clementi, gay rutgers freshman, jumped off george washington bridge 5 years ago. roommate , classmate had been using webcam film romantic encounters men, behavior clementi had informed university officials shortly before death.
since tragedy, greater vigilance surrounding cyber-bullying has been applauded, in new jersey. attention koval’s twitter account case of school interference gone far?
high school student says accusation of bullying mask bothered school: condemnations of israel. koval maintains never publicly mentioned “pro-israel” classmate name.
“i never degraded her,” koval wrote in message
new york times. “they use ‘bullying’ guise cover pro-israel, pro-censorship agenda.”
according
mondoweiss, news site debates surrounding israel , palestinians, koval started tweeting longstanding israeli-palestinian conflict on dec. 22, during holiday break. few days afterwards, heard unidentified classmate had been offended language.
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