Grace’s Law In Action
A bill named in honor of a Howard County teen who committed suicide after she was bullied online would make it a misdemeanor to repeatedly and maliciously use a computer or smartphone to bully someone under the age of 18.
The Senate last week gave final approval to “Grace’s Law,” which was introduced by Del. Jon Cardin, a Baltimore County Democrat.
Grace McComas, a 15-year-old Glenelg High School sophomore, committed suicide on Easter Sunday last year, after repeated cyberbullying through social media websites.
Sen. Allan Kittleman, a West Friendship Republican, sponsored the Senate version of the legislation.
Kittleman said this bill was “one of the most important pieces of legislation” that he has worked on during his eight years in the Senate.
“This is landmark legislation for Maryland,” he said.
Under the law, bullying someone under the age of 18 through a computer or smartphone could warrant up to a $500 fine or up to one year in prison.
Kittleman said he expects the law to be a proactive tool for law enforcement.
He believes once someone is confronted with the possible charges by law enforcement, they will end their bullying.
For additional information on Remembering Grace McComas, please visit
Grace McComas Facebook Memorial Page
Thank you for covering this… Hopefully ‘Grace’s Law’ will protect other Maryland children in the future. People need to be made aware of how bullying is different now than in the past, due to how digitally inter-connected kids are today. The targeted child doesn’t even have to see it to hear about it. Hatred and gossip at the speed of electronic media, as close as their cell phone, computer, I-pad or even game system…it follows them home, where previous generations found sanctuary.
We need this awareness and protections nationally. See who we lost: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9YxG79Ctks and follow https://www.facebook.com/GraceMcComasMemorial
Christine,
It’s a shame that it takes a tragedy to spark a proactive mindset when it comes to laws.
It’s legal to sue people for defamation of character, but until Grace’s Law, it wasn’t illegal in Maryland to do so on the internet.
People say: well it’s the internet, you can’t take things you hear seriously.
The fact that social media gets more hits than search engines, social media has grown faster than television, radio and standard reporting, social media isn’t a fad, it’s a revolution… and people can use it for the good or bad… there should be more laws controlling what can and can’t be placed on accounts.
Being a bullied kid myself during high-school, my heart truly goes out to you and your family.
If there’s anything else that I can do, I would love to stay in touch with you all.
I’m glad that I took the time to read Ray’s tweet about Grace’s Law going into Law.