Published: June 10, 2009 11:59 pm      

Garrett BOE approves new policy on bullying prevention

Oakland woman hopes trained adults will be involved

OAKLAND — The Garrett County Board of Education has approved a new policy on bullying prevention, but there are public concerns with who would be dealing with the conflicts.

“I definitely, adamantly disagree with (peer) mediation in dealing with bullying in the school,” Ellie Paugh of Oakland said at the Garrett County Board of Education meeting Tuesday. “They are somewhat trained, but it’s difficult to find the underlying motive to bullying … I hope adults will be involved, and trained adults.”

Paugh said that if the bullying is done just out of hate or maliciousness, peer mediation won’t have the effectiveness of an adult getting involved in a situation. She said that she had seen a situation recently where the peer mediation actually made things worse.

She would like to see a way for the school to let the student body know, in situations where it is obvious, who the victim and the aggressor were. While Paugh said she understood that policy was definite in terms of suspension for fighting, she said that it sent the message that both students were equally guilty, when that was not always the case.

At the Tuesday meeting, board members also expressed their concerns and what they hope to see in this new policy.

Charlotte Seibold asked why the policy includes the need for interviewing bystanders who were not witnesses. She said she felt that weakened the document rather than strengthening it, but Phil Lauver, supervisor of pupil services, said that this was state policy.

It was also discussed how someone who at first appears to be a bystander might turn out to be a witness, but without interviewing the person you may not find someone who saw something important.

Board president Rodney Durst asked whether the policy would include if a student feels intimidated or belittled by a teacher.

“Sometimes teachers make fun of them in front of the students. I recall talking with a student who felt ridiculed in their class because they didn’t believe in evolution. They felt they were made to believe they were ignorant for believing in (creationism).”

Lauver said that if the student genuinely felt bullied, he could go to the principal to complain the same as if a student was doing it.

The board unanimously passed the revised policy.

Contact Sarah Moses at smoses@times-news.com.