Sen. Frank Lautenberg's newly proposed anti-bullying legislation is aimed at preventing incidents like the suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi, by making colleges more responsible for outlining policies against bullying and harassment. But Rutgers already has a similar policy in place, and some students say they doubt new rules will have much of an impact.

Clementi, a Ridgewood High School graduate, jumped off the George Washington Bridge Sept. 22 after two other Rutgers students allegedly streamed video over the Internet of him having sexual relations with another man. Prosecutors have not yet said whether bias charges or other enhanced charges might apply in the case. Clementi's body was recovered from the Hudson River last Thursday.

"The bill I'm introducing will require colleges and universities who are recipients of federal funds must adopt a code of conduct that prohibits harassment and bullying," Lautenberg (D-NJ) told about 300 people at a forum at Rutgers Wednesday night.

His legislation would require a policy for dealing with complaints and incidents of harassment, require schools to deem cyberbulling a form of harassment, and create a U.S. Department of Education grant program to assist colleges and universities with implementing programs to stop harassment and bullying of all students.

But Rutgers Media Relations Director E.J. Miranda said the University already has policies in place that deal specifically with bullying and harassment.

"There is an excerpt from the Student Code of Conduct that deals with this type of allegation," Miranda said. "From the Student Verbal Assault, Harassment and Defamation Policy, the provisions in that are very similar to what it sounds like the senator is proposing. These provisions are already in place now at the University."

The Student Code of Conduct bars "making or attempting to make an audio or video recording of any person(s) on University premises in bathrooms, showers, bedrooms, or other premises where there is an expectation of privacy with respect to nudity and/or sexual activity, with the knowledge and consent of all participants subject to such recordings."

And the Rutgers Policy Against Verbal Assault, Defamation, and Harassment Policy states that the University prohibits any form of harassment, which "may also include cyber-bullying or contact through electronic communication."

The policy includes among its expulsion or suspension, and states "students who believe themselves to be victims of verbal assault, harassment or defamation should report such incidents to the Dean or the Dean of Students of their college."

Miranda also said if a student is bullied or harassed, he or she can contact whatever releavant authority he or she chooses.

"Students can call the Rutgers University Police Department (RUPD) directly. In fact, during student orientation, they are instructed to program the RUPD's phone number into their cell phones," Miranda said. "Or, a student can tell a member of the residence life staff."

That may well be what Clementi did. In a message board post [note: some sexually explicit material appears at the linked site] that appears to have been made by Clementi the day before he killed himself, user cit2mo asks for advice after an incident of "college roommate spying." The details of the incident closely match what's publicly known about the alleged invasion into Clementi's privacy shortly before his suicide. In the message thread, cit2mo says he'll be reporting the incident to his resident assistant.

Rutgers has received a subpoena that reportedly seeks e-mails related to the response. Miranda has said that's a typical step when student records are involved, as the school is obligated under federal law to protect students' privacy.

And NJ.com reports Rutgers President Richard McCormick says he poured over the documentation himself, and is convinced the school did everything it could to respond to Clementi's complaint.

"Based on everything I know, I believe that we did all we could and we did the right thing," he said at a Rutgers Board of Governors meeting in Camden, according to the report.

Students speak out

Some Rutgers students say more can be done by both legislators and the university.

"People are getting bullied because their peers are marginalizing them and they don't feel empowered enough to come forward," said John Maltz, a School of Arts and Sciences sophomore.

But reaching individuals at the college level might not be the entire solution to bullying and harassment, Maltz said.

"I think if something is implemented [in public school districts] at a younger level where you get kids to realize the harmful effects [bullying and harassment] can have, and it's something they internalize at a young age, I think that could be very beneficial," Maltz said. "But I think trying to implement it on a college level will be very difficult. I think that because kids will [say something like], 'I don't care what you say, I'm going to do what I want.'"

That's the sort of effort envisioned in proposed legislation by Assemblywomen Mary Pat Angelini (R-Monmouth) and Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen), who also spoke at the Wednesday forum. Their Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights aims to make New Jersey schools more responsible for addressing school buddying, by requiring anti-bullying experts in every school building and requiring specialized training for staff.

"The bill would create a new and far more effective model for preventing and responding to school bullying than exists anywhere else in the country," Huttle and Angelini said in a statement last Thursday.

Francesca Fiore, a Mason Gross School of the Arts sophomore, said while she thinks legislation is a great thing to have in place, it's not going to stop acts of bullying or harassment.

"I don't know how much it's going to help stop the actual act of bullying because I feel like it's something that's always occurred and always will occur," Fiore said. "Although legislation for dealing with complaints of bullying is helpful, not everyone could get to the step of complaining about it because they're upset, they're nervous, they're frightened. They just need to have somewhere to go and talk about what they're going through."

Fiore said Rutgers and other schools should make a larger effort to show students that counseling services are available on campus, and free.

"My mom is a professor at Temple University and unfortunately, she has students who come to her office who feel like they can't talk to anybody else and ask her for her help," Fiore said. "She always refers them to counseling center because they don't know that it exists or that it's easy or that nobody's going to judge them for going there."

Fiore suggests the university also implement mandatory programs for students to attend upon arrival to campus freshmen year.

"I don't think that it's explicitly [said that help is available], especially with freshmen. I think that's the hardest year," she said. "So I think maybe some kind of seminar for freshmen that they are required to go to talk about the services at Rutgers that are available would be helpful."

School of Arts and Sciences sophomore Courtney Shaw said she doesn't think the new legislation will be the only solution for student victims of bullying and harassment.

 "I think that it's always useful to draw more attention to the fact that bullying is a big problem so in that sense, I think having more legislation probably can't hurt," Shaw said. "But I also don't know that it will make much of a difference because it seems as though bullying evolves with the way that the times evolve. The changes in technology make bullying so much easier."

Patch reminds young people of any sexual orientation who are struggling with social isolation or other difficulties: Help is available.

Patch also invites Tyler Clementi's friends and loved ones to share their thoughts and memories about the teen known as a talented musician and gifted student.

— Patch Editor James Kleimann contributed to this report