Ogden attack caught on video raises questions about punishments for bullies

OGDEN, Utah (KUTV) — A disturbing bullying case at Ogden High School is raising questions about the consequences that perpetrators sometimes face.

2News reported earlier this week about a girl that was beaten inside a school bathroom. The attack was captured on video.

The Ogden School District released a statement saying, in part, that a student was “removed from school as soon as school personnel became aware of the incident and will not be allowed to return to school for the duration of the school year” and that “appropriate disciplinary and behavior intervention steps in line with the severity of this incident will also continue.”

2News reached out to the district Wednesday for further clarification. Because the end of the school year is May 27, the student will only miss about a week of school.

A district spokesperson said the district wouldn’t be doing interviews and also sent the following additional statement:

“Ogden School District does not tolerate bullying in our schools. We deal with each incident and all reports with due process. When an incident warrants, we collaborate with Ogden Police as they conduct criminal investigations. We believe in supporting all students in their academic and social needs. When necessary, appropriate disciplinary measures are enacted as well as support systems for any individuals who have been traumatized or harmed.”

2News learned schools and districts do have latitude in forming their own polices for responding to cases of bullying.

“Those policies are supposed to be reviewed on a regular basis,” said Amy Steele-Smith, the bullying prevention specialist with the Utah State Board of Education (USBE).

Steele-Smith, who wasn’t commenting on any specific case of bullying, said there are some guidelines that local education agencies (LEA) have to follow when crafting policies. For example, parents have to be notified in a timely manner when a case of bullying happens. But LEAs do have leeway in response specifics.

“Really, the policies are, at the LEA level, directed by the districts and the board, their local school board,” Steele-Smith said.

Steele-Smith also said part of the reason LEAs have latitude is because bullying can be a complex issue.

“Part of why it’s complex is not every incident is the same, not every child is the same,” she said.

2News also reached out to mental health professionals who specialize in bullying.

“I think of healing and I think of being gentle,” said Scott Langenecker, a professor of psychiatry at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.

Langenecker also wasn’t commenting on any specific bullying case. But in talking about the issue generally, he advocated for helping kids who bully as much as bullying victims.

“As a school administrator, how do we re-create a safe space for the child who has been bullied and how do we actually allow the child who has been doing the bullying to help create some of that healing space,” Langenecker said.

Langenecker admitted that’s not always possible and always made sure to differentiate responses to bullying by age.

“The consequences of bullying in high school have to be very different than the consequences of bullying in grade school,” he said.