New Illinois Law Targets Cyber Bullying

Students, be careful what you post online.

A new Illinois law allows school boards to expel or suspend any student who makes a threat against school personnel, or other students via websites. 

Co-sponsor of the bill, Rep. Sandra Pihos (R-Glen Ellyn) said this is just a "babystep" to stop cyber bullying. Concerned with infringing on First Amendment rights, Pihos said this bill is a "little soft," but has enough teeth to provide school boards with direction on how to deal with students who make explicit threats online. 

Students will get in trouble if they make a statement online that "could reasonably be interpreted as threatening," according to the language of the law. The threat must also be made on a website, so a threatening email exchange between students will not be punishable under this law, according to Pihos. The language of the bill states a student will face repercussions if they, 

"have made an explicit threat on an internet website that was accessible within the school at the time the threat was made or was available to third parties who worked or studied within the school grounds at the time the threat was made, and the threat could reasonably be interpreted as threatening..." 

However, the law is vague and leaves it to be interpreted as to where the threat can originate for grounds of expulsion or suspension. Pihos said, "This is certainly not the be all, end all in solving this. I think it's a good start and I think we're going to be revisiting this at some point in time."

Some Glen Ellyn schools already have cyber bullying policies in place. Glenbard Township High School District 87 spokesperson Peg Mannion said her district is trying to stay ahead of these issues. Mannion believes the addition of the state law will only help District 87, "It enhances our ability to enforce those board policies," Mannion said.

Just last year, Glen Ellyn Schol District 41 started implementing a new approach to stop bullying. After hearing concerns from parents about bullying, the district assembled a task force that focused on ways to get rid of the bad behavior. The district wanted a new and improved culture, so staffers focused on creating an environment where bullying would not be allowed or tolerated. And Superintendent Ann Riebock said it's working, "We've seen fewer discipline incidents that are related to aggressive behavior." 

Riebock said it's because the staff is more explicit in what they expect from students. 

Although there have been cyber bullying cases around the country, Pihos said there are no local incidents that lead her to co-sponsor this bill. As a former school teacher, she was aware of bullying but says it is has only gotten worse with the help of the internet. Pihos said she hopes students learn at an early age the dangers of the internet and what they post online is captured in time forever.