School Bullying

School bullying has persisted for many years, but recently bullies have changed their tactics. Rather than lurking in the hallway waiting to steal another child’s lunch money, bullies today spread gossip and rumors, glare menacingly, and send nasty text messages and Internet videos. This newer type of bullying has led to tragic, sometimes fatal, consequences for numerous teens throughout the United States. Several states have enacted anti- bullying laws applicable to students. Tennessee has not yet adopted such a law, but may do so in the future. A prosecutor in Massachusetts recently brought felony criminal charges against bullying students.

Mr. Hampson’s “USA Today” article of April 5, 2010 noted below discusses some of the causes for this type of behavior. He notes the following factors:

•Less play time in kindergarten and pre-school. In the past, children spent much of their time in programs playing with, and learning to get along with, other children. Now they spend much more time on academics and tests.
•More electronic communication. If you can ask someone out and break up with them via text or instant messaging, you don’t have to develop the social skills necessary for face-to-face encounters. This produces socially maladroit kids who are fodder for bullies.
•TV and movies with the wrong message. A study by one of Englander’s graduate students found that kids’ entertainment programs so full of situations in which teenage meanness is rewarded that the project’s parameters had to be adjusted.
•Parental ignorance. This takes two forms: obliviousness to what their kids do online — in a survey of Bridgewater State students, half said their parents never supervised their online activity in high school — and a denial about bullying.

If your child is suffering from such behavior from others, you should take the matter seriously. For more information, you may want to review the information noted below.

“USA Today” article: “A ‘watershed’ case in school bullying?” by Rick Hampson

Massachusetts Aggression Reduction Center at Bridgewater State College (founder Elizabeth Englander was quoted in the USA Today article)

Article about Alexis Pilkington (17-year-old who committed suicide on March 21) from CBS, “Alexis Pilkington Brutally Cyber Bullied, Even After Her Suicide”

Fox News Article about Georgia Bullying Laws

Article and video about Jon Carmichael (13-year-old who committed suicide on March 28) from CBS, “13-Year-Old Jon Carmichael Commits Suicide Following Bullying”

Article from CBS about bullying in school suicide of Carl Walker-Hoover (11-year-old) and others, “Bullying: Do Schools Need a New Approach?”

Article from New York Injury News about the Mohawk Central School District (New York) paying $50,000 as part of settlement with bullied homosexual a 15-year-old, “New York school district settles suit with gay student”

Case in California, State appeals court about free speech and online threats begun by father of 15-year-old victim of cyberbullying

Last Show – March 28, 2010

March 28, 2010 was a sad day for Sara and me. After 35 weeks of researching to bring you authorities on a great number of legal topics, we have made the difficult decision to now bring the show to an end.

As you might imagine, it takes us several hours to prepare for the show each week. Unfortunately, we no longer can spare the extra time due to the number of complex cases we presently have and the obligations we both have to a number of non-profit organizations.

Nonetheless we’d like to celebrate the success of the show by discussing some common legal myths and answering your questions. I’d like to conclude our show with some thoughts I’d like to relate to you.

Sara and I established our goal for this show early on. We wanted to introduce our listeners to some of the legal issues with which we are all confronted from time to time.

To accomplish our goal we have brought you established, knowledgeable guests who could educate you, our listening audience, with the current law on many different topics. We hope you enjoyed the show over the last eight months and learned a lot about various legal topics and how they affect you.

We believe we have now achieved our goal. Unfortunately, we underestimated the preparation time necessary to air a quality show. Our other obligations to work, family, and non-profit organizations much now take priority.

Sara and I would like to take a few moments to thank all of those who have helped make this show so successful.

First we’d like to thank our families who sacrificed their time to allow us to engage in this venture; in particular I’d like to thank my wife who was here every week to greet our guests and attend to last minute tasks during the show.

I’d like to thank our sponsors who exhibited their confidence in our abilities.

I’d also like to extend my appreciation to my co-host Sara Compher-Rice who was extremely helpful both on and off the air; and especially to Lee Benedetti and Chris Marion of WNOX who offered constant encouragement and advice. Their suggestions certainly helped make this show so popular.

Over the last eight months I have been fortunate enough to work with Lee, Chris, and many others at the studio. The citizens of East Tennessee should feel privileged to have such professionals who deeply care about airing high quality radio.

Most importantly, I’d like to thank you – our listeners – for tuning in each week. You have made the experience a most pleasurable one for me, Sara, and others listening.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share our knowledge with you. If you have any questions in the future, you can always reach us at 249-7200 or online at www.tndui.com. We will do our best to answer your questions or refer you to a lawyer who can.

Now, it’s time to say so long…

March 28 Show – Legal Fact or Fiction

Join Steve and Sara this Sunday when we will be exploring the topic of “Legal Fact or Fiction.” Join us at 11:00 a.m. on March 28, 2010 by tuning in to WNOX-FM 100.3 NewsTalk 100. You can also listen live via the web by visiting http://www.wnoxnewstalk.com.

Call during the show with your questions or comments by dialing (865) 656-TALK (8255) or (800) 951-TALK (8255). U.S. Cellular and AT&T Wireless customers can also place a free call by dialing *100. Feel free to post your questions and/or comments here on our blog. We will review the blog before and during the show and attempt to answer your questions on the air.

Feel free to also contact Steve and Sara during the week with your questions by calling our office at (865) 249-7200.

March 14 Show — Public Safety Issues

Join Steve and Sara this Sunday when we will be exploring the topic of “Public Safety Issues.”  Join us at 11:00 a.m. on March 14, 2010 by tuning in to WNOX-FM 100.3 NewsTalk 100.  You can also listen live via the web by visiting http://www.wnoxnewstalk.com.

Call during the show with your questions or comments by dialing (865) 656-TALK (8255) or (800) 9510-TALK (8255). U.S. Cellular and AT&T Wireless customers can also place a free call by dialing *100.  Feel free to post your questions and/or comments here on our blog.  We will review the blog before and during the show and attempt to answer your questions on the air.

Feel free to also contact Steve and Sara during the week with your questions by calling our office at (865) 249-7200.

February 28 Show – Traffic Offenses

Join Steve and Sara this Sunday when we will be exploring the topic of “Traffic Offenses.”  Join us at 11:00 a.m. on February 28, 2010 by tuning in to WNOX-FM 100.3 NewsTalk 100.  You can also listen live via the web by visiting http://www.wnoxnewstalk.com.

Call during the show with your questions or comments by dialing (865) 656-TALK (8255) or (800) 9510-TALK (8255). U.S. Cellular and AT&T Wireless customers can also place a free call by dialing *100.  Feel free to post your questions and/or comments here on our blog.  We will review the blog before and during the show and attempt to answer your questions on the air.

Feel free to also contact Steve and Sara during the week with your questions by calling our office at (865) 249-7200.

February 21 Show – - Tax Laws

Join Steve and Sara this Sunday when we will be exploring the topic of “Tax Laws”  Join us at 11:00 a.m. on February 21, 2010 by tuning in to WNOX-FM 100.3 NewsTalk 100.  You can also listen live via the web by visitinghttp://www.wnoxnewstalk.com.

Call during the show with your questions or comments by dialing (865) 656-TALK (8255) or (800) 9510-TALK (8255). U.S. Cellular and AT&T Wireless customers can also place a free call by dialing *100.  Feel free to post your questions and/or comments here on our blog.  We will review the blog before and during the show and attempt to answer your questions on the air.

Feel free to also contact Steve and Sara during the week with your questions by calling our office at (865) 249-7200.

February 14, 2010 Show — Medical Malpractice

Join Steve and Sara this Sunday when we will be exploring the topic of “Medical Malpractice Law.”  Join us at 11:00 a.m. on February 7, 2010 by tuning in to WNOX-FM 100.3 NewsTalk 100.  You can also listen live via the web by visiting http://www.wnoxnewstalk.com.

Call during the show with your questions or comments by dialing (865) 656-TALK (8255) or (800) 9510-TALK (8255). U.S. Cellular and AT&T Wireless customers can also place a free call by dialing *100.  Feel free to post your questions and/or comments here on our blog.  We will review the blog before and during the show and attempt to answer your questions on the air.

Feel free to also contact Steve and Sara during the week with your questions by calling our office at (865) 249-7200.

Recap of February 7 Show–Nursing Home Laws

Steve and Sara would like to thank Attorney Parke Morris for joining us February 7, 2010 on “Let’s Talk Law” to discuss Tennessee Nursing Home Laws.  The two of the most popular questions about Nursing Home Laws and rights were addressed during the show:

1. What should one look for when choosing a nursing home?

As Parke described, it is important to review the surveys or governmental inspection reports of facilities.  Many Tennessee nursing home resources, including links to surveys and reports, can be found here: http://health.state.tn.us/nursinghomes/index.htm.

Another resource is your local long-term care ombudsman.  An ombudsman is simply an advocate for residents of nursing homes and other types of assisted living facilities. Ombudsmen can provide information about how to find a facility and what to look for when doing your research.  A list of local ombudsmen in Tennessee can be found here: http://www.state.tn.us/comaging/ombudsmanmap.html.

2. What should I do if I suspect potential abuse in a nursing home? Who should I contact?

If you prefer to speak with someone at the nursing home facility about your concerns, Parke explained that you should start with the Director of Nursing.  You may also address your questions to the Assistant Director of Nursing, Social Worker or Unit Manager.  If, however, you wish to seek outside help or to lodge a formal complaint, you may again contact your local long-term care ombudsman for help.    Serious incidents of patient abuse can be reported to the TBI by calling the Patient Abuse in Tennessee Hotline at 1-800-433-5454.  For more information, you may visit http://www.tbi.state.tn.us/Crime_invest/medicaid_fraud.shtml.

Recap of January 31 Show — Insurance Laws

Steve and Sara would like to thank Attorney Tom Johnson and Insurance Agent William Blount for joining us January 31, 2010 on “Let’s Talk Law” to discuss Insurance Laws.  Both guests provided invaluable information on this important topic.

William outlined the different types of insurance available, focusing on automobile and homeowner/renter coverages.  He also provided some helpful information on coverage amounts, explaining that typically you can more than double your coverage amounts for a relatively low increase in the cost of your policy.  Accordingly, it is important to talk with your insurance agent and obtain quotes on different levels of coverage, rather than settling for the lowest amount of coverage.

Several topics were covered during the show, including what is known as “uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.”  As Tom explained, this coverage is used when the at fault party either does not have insurance or does not have enough insurance to cover your damages.  This topic led to an interesting question: If I have an uninsured motorist claim and file a lawsuit, why does my own company hire a lawyer to fight me? Tom explained that “your policy provides that you are entitled to recover from your policy the amount you are legally entitled to recover from the owner or operator of an uninsured motor vehicle.  The uninsured motorist statue sets out in detail how the system works. Obviously, it wouldn’t be fair to the insurance company to have to pay whatever amount the insured asks for.”

February 7 Show — Nursing Home Laws

Join Steve and Sara this Sunday when we will be exploring the topic of “Nursing Home Laws.”  Many of the problems found in nursing homes and facing our elderly were discussed in this recent newspaper article. Join us at 11:00 a.m. on February 7, 2010 by tuning in to WNOX-FM 100.3 NewsTalk 100.  You can also listen live via the web by visiting http://www.wnoxnewstalk.com.

Call during the show with your questions or comments by dialing (865) 656-TALK (8255) or (800) 9510-TALK (8255). U.S. Cellular and AT&T Wireless customers can also place a free call by dialing *100.  Feel free to post your questions and/or comments here on our blog.  We will review the blog before and during the show and attempt to answer your questions on the air.

Feel free to also contact Steve and Sara during the week with your questions by calling our office at (865) 249-7200.