This morning, I visited three different classes at Portland High School to talk about Maine’s anti-bullying law and how it protects students all across the state. It’s a subject we’ve been devoting a lot of energy towards as the new school year ramps up, and we have some exciting new resources to share as a result.
To start with, we’ve created a brand new video that explains the law to students. It’s quick and straightforward, with all kinds of important information that young people need to protect their rights under the law. Check it out:
Next, we’ve got a new webpage found at aclumaine.org/nobullying with links to all of our various content related to Maine’s anti-bullying law, including the new video. There are links and resources about the law itself, the history of its passage and other related topics. There are also links to the lesson plans we use to teach about bullying and equal protection, both of which can be downloaded for free directly from our site.
The ACLU of Maine worked tirelessly to get the anti-bullying law passed back in 2012, and now that it’s the law of the land we want to make sure that students are seeing the effects. That means educating them about what the law says, and how they can advocate for themselves if need be. We want the ACLU to be a resource for students who feel their rights are being violated, and we hope the new video and website are a big step in that direction. Of course every situation is unique, so if you or someone you know still has questions, give us a call at 774-5444 and we’ll point you in the right direction.
As the anti-bullying law itself states, “All students have the right to attend public schools that are safe, secure and peaceful environments.” Together, we can reduce bullying in Maine and make sure that no student feels unsafe at school.
