NEWS: Anti-Bullying Legislation Proposed in Congress

This week two federal legislators introduced a bill in Congress that would require colleges and universities that receive federal funding to implement anti-bullying/anti-harassment policies.  According to an article in The Star-Ledger, the legislation would also provide funding for colleges and universities in the U.S. to start anti-bullying programs on campus.  The legislation, known as the Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Rush Holt (D-12th Dist, NJ) and in the U.S. Senate by Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).

The legislation is named for Tyler Clementi, the Rutgers University student who committed suicide in September by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate and another classmate allegedly used a webcam to film Clementi in a private encounter with another man in his dorm room and publicize it to others via social media channels.  Clementi's suicide sparked international commentary about bullying and harassment, including an emotional speech by a Forth Worth city councilman Joel Burns about his personal experiences being bullied that received widespread attention and prompted similar commentary from individuals around the world.