FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Victoria Martin
vmartin@payouthcongress.org
Phone: 717-743-1035
PSEC STATEMENT ON POTENTIAL STUDENT PROSECUTION
IN DELAWARE COUNTY;
STATEWIDE STUDENT ORG. RESPONDS TO CRIMINALIZATION OF BULLYING
DARBY, PA –Twelve year old Darby Township student, Bailey O’Neill, passed away on March 3rd, following a violent assault at his school which is believed to be related to bullying. The Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition (PSEC) does not wish to politicize O’Neill’s tragic death, and feels that this time should be taken to allow the family and community to grieve.
PSEC only wishes to comment on the classification of this incident as bullying and the weighty decisions ahead for Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan. Following autopsy results, DA Whelan is currently mulling over possible assault charges against unnamed students involved in harming O’Neill on the playground.
PSEC does not support the criminalization of bullying. The “school-to-prison” pipeline which targets juvenile offenders does not in itself solve issues of school violence, and generally leads to adults lacking education recidivism of violent assaults. Students who are found to be aggressors should be provided positive behavior support, such as counseling with meaningful discipline measures. When young students are sent into the justice system, many become stuck in a cycle of arrests and prison sentences. Retributive punishment is not the answer to solving serious childhood behavioral issues.
Since the time of O’Neill’s assault, PSEC has been working with state legislators from Delaware County to gain support for the Pennsylvania Safe Schools Act (PASS Act), House Bill 156. PSEC believes that with policies in place to monitor and address incidents of bullying before they escalate, more senseless tragedies can be avoided.
Delaware Country legislators Rep. Tom Killion (R-168, Newtown Square) and Rep. Nicholas Micozzie (R-163, Drexel Hill) became co-sponsors of the PASS Act since Bailey’s story went public last month.
Rep. Nicholas Miccarelli (R-162, Ridley Park), the State Representative of Darby Township, has yet to sign on to the bill. PSEC encourages Rep. Miccarelli’s constituents to ask for his support on this bill by calling his district office at 610-534-1002.
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