35 Bullying Incidents Reported In Lawrence Schools: Report

LAWRENCE TOWNSHIP, NJ — A school district put under the microscope after claims of a bias incident at a high school football game last month reported a total of 35 harassment, intimidation and bullying cases this past year, according to numbers recently released by the state.

The Lawrence Township Public School District had the 43rd highest number of cases, according to state data released for 2017-18. It averaged 9.09 cases per 1,000 students, which was 141st highest out of 550 school districts in the state.

The state Department of Education has cautioned that these numbers are reported by each district, so each jurisdiction is responsible for reporting its results fairly and accurately. But they are required by law to report them. Read more here: Report Shows NJ School Districts With Most Bullying, Harassment

A high profile incident occurred during a football game at Lawrence High School on Oct. 18, when three teenagers are accused of using racially abusive language against a group of middle school girls. Initial claims that one of the students peed on one of the girls was unfounded. They have been charged with multiple counts of bias intimidation, harassment and lewdness.

Read more here: Suspects Didn’t Pee On Students In Lawrence Bias Incident

After that incident, police and the school district came under fire from members of the community concerned about the initial response when students claimed they tried to tell someone what was happening.

Police said they were approached during the game, but the claims weren’t specific. The district said no members of security were approached during the game.

In the aftermath, principals, teachers and counselors in the district were available to help students cope with what had happened. Read more here: Residents Question Police Response To Lawrence Bias Incident

THE MENACE OF BULLIES: PATCH ADVOCACY REPORTING PROJECT

As part of a national reporting project, Patch has been looking at society's roles and responsibilities in bullying.

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