We Need Better Understanding of Anti-Bullying Laws, Westfield Mom Tells BOE

Westfield mom Tracy Factor told the Board of Education at its Tuesday meeting that school administrators, parents and students need a clearer understanding of anti-bullying laws. 

At the recommendation of school board counsel, Richard Kaplow, Factor made purposely vague references to a threatening phone call targeting her elementary school child that her family received in March. 

Factor said initially she was told by school administrators that she could not request a harrassment, intimidation and bullying investigation and was forced to "go beyond the school system" and ultimately to Gov. Chris Christie's office to try to find out what her family's rights were. 

"The anti-bullying coordinator is here to guide the parents and let them know what their rights are because it's not easy to read this law and that person should be well-versed and supportive of the parents and not force us to go elsewhere, to Governor Christie's office or elsewhere, to find out what our rights are," she said. 

Additionally, Factor suggested that when the anti-bullying coordinator is also the principal of the school the students involved attend, perhaps someone else should step in to fulfill that role to avoid a conflict of interest.

Factor also said she believes it would have been helpful had a district-wide alert gone out to all parents as occurs when a stranger approaches school children. Those emails encourage parents to be aware and vigilant, she said. 
 
"When I reported my incident to the school, nothing like that went out, no report to let other schools know, other parents know, 'Hey, if you get a phone call like this, please report it,' and I think that really hurt the whole investigation because other parents came out in April, when I came out in March and had to find out from the police that other families were involved," she said. "I think had we known in March that there were more of us out there, it would've been a stronger case, that there were more families targeted."

Factor said going forward if an incident like hers is reported she would like to see families throughout the district notified. 

Westfield schools superintendent Margaret Dolan said the district has had sessions regarding anti-bullying for both parents and students and the district will continue to hold additional programs this year.

"It is a complex law and we have to keep on sharing that information, I agree with you on that," Dolan said. 

Board president Rich Mattessich reiterated that the HIB law is complex and added that the Board works hard to make sure it is applied as it is intended. He thanked Factor for her comments and said he would look into seeing if her suggestions "made sense" for the district to implement.