Last Thursday (May 4), Bill 202, Protecting Victims of Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images Act, received Royal Assent, making it a Provincial law.

Under the law, school administrators have greater recourse to deal with students that engage in cyber-bullying where intimate images are passed around without consent. Rocky View Superintendent Greg Luterbach said that, while that type of behaviour was punishable in the past, there was some grey area around when discipline could be imposed. The new law gives further clarity to principals.

"We certainly had a vehicle in the past, but this makes it explicit," said Luterbach, "This makes it very clear that this is strictly prohibited, that students could be suspended or expelled as a result of that."

Luterbach explained that while students might be suspended for this type of behaviour, expulsion would only be used in the rare case. He did point out that these types of situations are slightly messy, as intimate images of a student that is a minor would be considered child pornography, and distributing them could result in criminal charges. At the end of the day, Luterbach's advice to students is to play it safe.

"Don't take the picture to begin with, let alone don't share it with anybody else. That would be my own personal message."

 

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