An Act To Prohibit CyberbuUying
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0933
Committee: Education and Cultural Affairs
Sponsors: NASS, MilLER
Amends: 20-A MRSA §6553

MAINE STATE LEGISLATURE 
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124th MAl E LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 933 
S.P.355 
In Senate, March 10, 2009 
An Act To Prohibit CyberbuUying 
Reference to the Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs suggested and ordered 
printed. 
Presented by Senator NASS of York. 
Cosponsored by Representative MilLER of Somerville. 
PrilHl'd "lIl'l'l:~.:IL·d ;l:lfll'! 
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JOYJ. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §6553, as amended by PL 1999, c. 351, §4, is further 
amended to read: 
§6553. Prohibition of injurious hazing and cyberbullying 
1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the 
following terms have the following meanings. 
A. 
"Injurious hazing" means any action or situation, including harassing behavior, 
that recklessly or intentionally endangers the mental, emotional or physical health of 
any school personnel or a student enrolled in a public school. "Injurious hazing" 
includes harassing behavior. 
B. 
"Violator" means any person or any organization whleh that engages in injurious 
hazing. 
C. 
"Cyberbullying" means injurious hazing by any verbal, textual or graphic 
communication of any kind effected, created or transmitted by the use of any 
electronic device, including but not limited to a computer, telephone, cellular 
telephone, text messaging device and personal digital assistant. 
2. Adoption of policy. The school board shall adopt a policy whleh that establishes 
that .!!.injurious hazing and cyberbullying,.!!. either on or off school property, by any 
student, staff member, group or organization affiliated with the public school is 
prohibited. 
3. Penalties. The school board shall establish penalties for violation of the rules 
established in subsection 2. The penalties shall must include, but are not 00 limited to, 
provisions for: 
A. 
In the case of a person not associated with the public school, the ejection of the 
violator from school property; 
B. 
In the case of a student, administrator or staff violator, the individual's 
suspension, expulsion or other appropriate disciplinary action; and 
C. 
In the case of an organization affiliated with the public school whleh that 
authorizes hazing, rescission of permission for that organization to operate on school 
property or receive any other benefit of affiliation with the public school. 
These penalties shall be are in addition to any other civil or criminal penalty to which the 
violator or organization may be subject. 
4. Administrative responsibility. The school board shall assign responsibility for 
administering the policy to the superintendent of schools and establish procedures for 
appealing the action or lack of action of the superintendent. 
5. Dissemination. The school board shall clearly set forth the policy and penalties 
adopted and shall distribute copies of them to all students enrolled in the public school. 
Page I - 124LRI703(OI)-1 
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SUMMARY 
This bill amends the current law covering the prohibition of hazing in public schools 
to specifically cover cyberbullying. Current law requires each school board to adopt a 
policy that addresses injurious hazing. Tllis bill defines "cyberbullying" as injurious 
hazing by any verbal, textual or graphic communication of any kind effected, created or 
transnlitted by the use of any electronic device, including but not limited to a computer, 
telephone, cellular telephone, text messaging device and personal digital assistant.