NJ schools held liable for bullying

In a unanimous decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that school districts are responsible for stopping bias-based harassment of students, New Jersey Online reports. "Much like employees in a workplace, students have the right to attend school without being subjected to repeated taunts from other children," the court said. Its ruling addressed a case brought years ago by a student "who complained he was slapped, punched and repeatedly taunted [for years] from the time he was in fourth grade by classmates who perceived him as gay." The court's opinion stated that "students in the classroom are entitled to no less protection from unlawful discrimination and harassment than their adult counterparts in the workplace…. We do not suggest, however, that isolated schoolyard insults or classroom taunts" would be enough to spark a legal case, the decision said.