Los Angeles School Devotes A Day To The Battle Against Bullying

The Los Angeles Times (2/9, Rivera) reports that Hale Middle School "is one of the first schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District to focus on the" bullying "issue with a comprehensive, daylong program that officials hope can be used as a model." The program, dubbed "Stand Tall Day," "is part of a nationwide drive to stem bullying on campuses and in cyberspace after a spate of suicides of gay and straight teenagers who had been harassed." The Times adds that ED "announced recently that it may withhold federal funds from schools that fail to stop bullying of gay and other students. Although many states have anti-bullying laws, several, including New Jersey, have moved recently to make them tougher."