Assembly Bill Would Punish Those Who Bully Online
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Students who use social networking sites to harass their classmates could face suspension or expulsion if a bill passed by the state Assembly becomes law.
AB1732 would allow schools to punish students who create online profiles impersonating classmates or set up "burn pages" filled with material intended to harm other teens.
The bill is sponsored by Democratic Assemblywoman Nora Campos of San Jose and passed 58-0 Monday. It now moves to the Senate.
Campos says California's original cyber bullying legislation was written in 2006, before social networking had become an integral part of teen life. She previously introduced successful legislation targeting bullying on social networking sites, including Facebook.
The topic of school bullying has gained renewed attention this year with the release of the documentary film "Bully."
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.
