In April 2008 Florida adopted an anti-bullying law, which includes cyber bullying. This statute is referred to as the "Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act." Jeffrey Johnston was a 15-year-old young man who committed suicide after being bullied for more than two years. The bullying started while he was in middle school with face to face bullying, but when he and his bully attended different high schools, the bullying turned into cyber bullying. The actual name of the law is "Bullying and harassment prohibited" and the statute number is 1006.147. There are other laws that are meant to protect children/students from bullying. For example, Statute 1006.07 requires district schools to provide the proper accounting for all students, the attendance and control of students at school, and the proper attention to health, safety, and other matters relating to the welfare of students. Another law protecting children/students is Statute number 1006.135. It is referred to as the Chad Meredith Act and it states that hazing at schools with grades 9-12 is prohibited. Chad Meredith was a freshman at the University of Miami when he died due to extreme hazing. At the hand of fraternity leaders, he was forced to drink copious amounts of alcohol that lead to his blood alcohol level being almost twice the legal limit. Then, he was told to swim across a lake on campus, where he later drowned. There are also laws protecting children/students against things like dating violence, crime and victimization, as well as secret societies.

To read more on the statutes visit the following links:

Bullying and harassment prohibited

District school board duties relating to student discipline and school safety

Hazing at high schools with grades 9-12 prohibited

Policy of zero tolerance for crime and victimization

Dating violence and abuse prohibited

Secret societies prohibited in public K-12 schools

Damian Mallard, Esq.
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