CASE STUDY: CYBERBULLYING Eric R. Young, Taylor Police, and Deven Siesel

Facts of the Case  Panorama College Information  Ariana’s Campus Involvement  Kathy’s Campus Involvement  A Facebook page was created displaying Kathy in a very poor image and was created at the same time Ariana was on Facebook as well as several other students  Kathy has been seeing a counselor regularly for unstable emotional issues

Facts cont.  Kathy and Ariana’s past relationship  Public and private disputes over the last several days  Ariana told Matt that she documented a party involving Kathy and the others causing retaliation, BSA is in a rift which is causing the Black population on campus to be deeply affected  Ariana’s parents are major donors of the institution  Lawyers are involved on both sides  The college president has been notified of this situation

Key Actors  Ariana Jackson – Black Student Association President.  Kathy Shapiro – Black Student Association Treasurer.  Matt Millman – Director of Residential Education  Sharon Rodriguez – Resident Director  Charlotte Patterson – Director of Student Activities  Madelyn Caruso – Dean of Students  Brian Bennington – Campus Psychologist  Paul Lee – Director of Information Technology

Immediate & Short Term Decision Issues Immediate:  Is Kathy in an acceptable mental condition?  Should Ariana be on suspension from her position before the conduct process occurs?  What information is relevant to present to supervisor during the meeting tomorrow? Short Term:  What conduct actions should be taken?  What steps should be taken to put out this situation prior to the conduct process?

Long Term Decision Issues Long Term: Should a social media policy be added to the university code of conduct?  What work should be done to reestablish the Black community on campus?

Additional Information Needed  Double check the party documentation  Who actually created the webpage  Who has been harassing Ariana at meetings  Are lawyers permitted in the hearing process under institutional rules?  What is the mission of the student conduct process?  Is there a social media policy within the student code of conduct?  History of Ariana’s and Kathy’s relationship  Precedent of harassment cases on campus  Matt’s tenure/experiences at the institution

Relevant Theories  Gilligan’s Moral Development  Josselson’s Identity Development  Sanford’s Challenge and Support Model  Processual Leadership Theory  Social Change Model  Professional Ethics  Jacoby’s SPAR Model  FERPA

Alternative Solution #1 and Theory  Concede to external and internal pressures  No judicial process- only developmental conversations  Ethic of Care

Pros and Cons #1 Pros:  Students are happy  Donors happy  President not upset with you  Keep a good staff member  Issue solved quickly  Lack of development potential  Lack of consequences for students  No incentive to change behaviors

Alternative Solution #2 and Theory  Hold the case until all information is discovered; utilize Restorative Justice  Room change for each student  No contact directive ordered for the two, including BSA meetings  Ethic of Care  Processual Leadership Theory  FERPA  Social Change Model

Pros and Cons #2  Potential for student development  Students work it out through a civil process  No lawyers  Keep donors  Student’s voices heard and represented to administration  Process is longer  Pressure from parents and other administrators  Students lose potential support systems  Parents withdraw students  Other students continue to fuel the fire and students ignore the no contact directive

Alternative Solution #3 and Theory  Provide a workshop for members of BSA on handling controversy with civility.  Ethic of Care  Challenge and Support Model  Gilligan’s Moral Development  Social Change Model

Pros and Cons #3  Provides students with resources  Allows them to better handle situations like this in the future without outside aid  Allows all members to have an educational experience  Reunites the black student population on campus  Potential backlash from the group members not involved  Students do not attend, therefore do not get the benefits

Alternative Solution #4 and Theory  Develop and hold a “Cyber bullying Workshop”  With BSA  Open to everyone  Josselson’s Identity Development  Gilligan’s Moral Development  Social Change Model

Pros and Cons #4  Provides students with resources  Helps them to better handle situations like this in the future without outside aid  Allows all members to have an educational experience  Reunites the black student population on campus  Potential backlash from the group members not involved  Students do not attend, therefore do not get the benefits

Alternative Solution #5 and Theory  Add a no tolerance social media policy to the University Code of Conduct with strict guidelines and harsh punishments.  Best Practices  Ethic of Justice

Pros and Cons #5  Deters students from cyber bullying  Easy to follow protocol should cyber bullying take place  May prevent future events  Campus community may not support the harshness of the policy  Administrators may not support and therefore allow its creation

Alternative Solution #6 and Theory  Reach out to the Black Community on campus and see what their needs and wants are to establish a strong relationship with the university and their members.  Other minority groups on campus as well?  Challenge and Support  Ethic of Care  Josselson

Pros and Cons #6  Reunites Black Community  Strengthens BSA  Potentially brings Kathy and Ariana back together  Shows campus commitment to diversity and inclusion  Other minority groups on campus may feel neglected

Alternative Solution #7 and Theory  Advisor Training Session  Challenge and Support (How-To)  Social Change Model

Pros and Cons #7  Gives advisor resources to work with the students and how handle these types of situations and how to interact with group members  Potentially lose advisors that do not want to or have the time for the training

Alternative Solution #8 and Theory  Proceed with the conduct process  Students each violated portions of the student code of conduct; they should be sanctioned.  Professional Ethics  Gilligan’s Moral Development  Josselson’s Identity Development

Pros and Cons #8  Everything handled fairly  Conclusion derived from facts  Students have opportunity to learn from sanctions  Other students see this as an example  Lose angry donors  President upset with you  Lose a good staff member  Lose a student to transfer process  Send a student into deeper depression

Plan of Action (Immediate)  Move both girls into new resident halls. Establish a “no contact” directive ordered for the two, including BSA meetings.  Continue to acquire all the facts of the case.

Plan of Action (Short)  Develop and hold a “Cyber bullying Workshop” to help inform, gain awareness and help prevent cyber bullying in the future. (See Handout)  Conduct an advisor training on organizational development  Hold formal conduct meetings with each of the students and assign sanctions

Plan of Action (Long)  Add a no tolerance social media policy to the University Code of Conduct with strict guidelines and harsh punishments.  Reach out to the various minority student organizations on campus and see what their needs and wants are in order to establish a strong relationship between the university and their members.

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