Our View: Knocking Out Bullies a Job for Everyone

Bullying is nothing new. It happens everywhere. In the workplace, people who tease, intimidate or otherwise harass fellow employees face stiff consequences for their actions — up to and including termination. Losing your source of livelihood is a tough way to learn a lesson…We’ve all known a bully. In recent months, we’ve become familiar with some of the more celebrated cases, including a most severe instance where a 16-year-old girl in Massachusetts committed suicide after being harassed and bullied by peers. Closer to home, a gay teenager who alleged he was harassed and bullied at Gregory B. Jarvis Junior/Senior High School in Mohawk for being gay filed a lawsuit against the school district, but reached an agreement in late March that ended the lawsuit. The New York Civil Liberties Union hailed the settlement as an important step toward protecting all students.