Criminalization of Cyberbullying: The Constitutionality of Creating an Online Neverland for Children Under a Tinker-Bell Analysis

• Author: Randall Morgan Briggs
• Position: J.D./D.C.L., 2018. Paul M. Hebert Law Center, Louisiana State University.
• Pages: 1059-1100

Criminalization of Cyberbullying: The

Constitutionality of Creating an Online Neverland for

Children Under a Tinker-Bell Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ................................................................................ 1060

I. Exploring the History of the Right of Free Speech in

the United States......................................................................... 1065

A. Government as the Protector of Individual Rights .............. 1066

B. The Supreme Court’s Recognition of Permissible

Restrictions on Speech ......................................................... 1068

1. Applying Strict Scrutiny to Content-Based Laws ......... 1069

2. Speech Traditionally Limited Due to the Content

of its Message ................................................................ 1072

a. The “Fighting Words” Exception ........................... 1072

b. The “Obscene Material” Exception ........................ 1073

c. The “Incitement” Exception ................................... 1074

d. The “True Threats” Exception ................................ 1076

II. Jurisprudence Relevant to Criminalizing Cyberbullying ........... 1076

A. Speech Limitations Furthering Legitimate

Pedagogical Concerns Are Constitutional ........................... 1077

1. Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community

School District ............................................................... 1078

2. Bethel School District No. 403 v. Fraser ...................... 1079

3. Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier ...................... 1080

4. Morse v. Frederick ........................................................ 1081

B. Jurisprudence Analyzing Restrictions of

Cyberbullying Under the First Amendment ........................ 1082

1. Bell v. Itawamba County School Board:

The Fifth Circuit Extending Tinker ............................... 1082

2. State v. Bishop: North Carolina’s Analysis

of the State’s Cyberbullying Law .................................. 1085

III. Analyzing the Constitutionality of Louisiana’s

Cyberbullying Statute ................................................................. 1087

A. Louisiana’s Cyberbullying Statute....................................... 1088

B. Applying Federal First Amendment Jurisprudence

to Louisiana’s Cyberbullying Statute .................................. 1088

1060 LOUISIANA LAW REVIEW [Vol. 78

1. Louisiana’s Cyberbullying Statute Fails to Survive

the Two-Pronged Test of Strict Scrutiny ....................... 1089

2. Louisiana’s Cyberbullying Statute Fails to Use the

Traditional Genres or Tinker ......................................... 1092

C. Applying Louisiana’s Constitutional Protections

to Louisiana’s Cyberbullying Statute .................................. 1092

IV. Proposed Solutions for Louisiana .............................................. 1095

A. Amending Louisiana’s Cyberbullying Statute to

Survive Strict Scrutiny ......................................................... 1096

B. Amending Louisiana’s Cyberbullying Statute to

Include the Traditionally Restricted Genres ........................ 1096

C. Louisiana Should Amend the Statute to Track the

Tinker-Bell Analysis ............................................................ 1098

D. Louisiana Statutes Must Comply with Louisiana’s

Constitutional Protections .............................................................. 1099

Conclusion .................................................................................. 1099

INTRODUCTION

Megan Meier, Phoebe Connop, Ryan Halligan, Jesse Logan, Hope

Sitwell, Jamey Rodemeyer, Amanda, Todd, and Katlin Loux all died before

their 19th birthdays.1

Copyright 2018, by RANDALL MORGAN BRIGGS.

1. See Megan’s Story, MEGAN MEIER FOUND., http://www.meganmeierfound

ation.org/megans-story.html (last visited Oct. 29, 2017) [https://perma.cc/RN7V-GV

4K]; Mark Hodge & Ian Murphy, ‘AN ABSOLUTE TRAGEDY’ Schoolgirl hanged

herself over fears of online ba cklash over racially offensive Instagram snap, SUN

(Aug. 28, 2016), https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1687224/schoolgirl-hanged-herself-

over-fears-of-online-backlash-over-racially-offensive-instagram-snap/ [https://perma

.cc/499E-UB2B]; John Halligan & Kelly Halligan, Ryan’s Story, http://www.ryan

patrickhalligan.org (last visited Nov. 2, 2017) [https://perma.cc/9V53-BUEG]; Mike

Celizic, Her teen committed suicide over ‘sexting’, TODAY PARENTS (Mar. 6, 2009,

8:26 AM), http://www.today.com/parents/her-teen-committed-suicide-over-sexting-

2D80555048 [https://perma.cc/HJV4-DV9H]; Patience Ley, Cyber Bullying, PREZI

(Mar. 18, 2014), https://prezi.com/mxhrody4tlkx/cyber-bullying/ [https://perma.cc

/8NYW-DNU8]; Michelle Dean, The Story Of Amanda Todd, NEW YORKER (Oct.

18, 2012), http://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-story-of-amanda-

todd [https://perma.cc/HRV4-CY59]; Susan Donaldson James, Jamey Rodemeyer

Suicide: Police Consider Criminal Bullying Charges, ABC NEWS (Sept. 22, 2011),

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/jamey-rodemeyer-suicide-ny-police-open-criminal-in

2018] COMMENT 1061

Jesse lost her life at age 18.2 Phoebe was 16 years old.3 Amanda was

15.4 Jamey was 14.5 Ryan,6 Hope,7 and Megan8 were 13. Katlin, who lived

a few miles south of Shreveport, Louisiana, had just graduated from high

school.9 She was 17.10 What was the cause of these young peoples’ premature

deaths? They were victims of suicide provoked by cyberbullying.11

vestigation/story?id=14580832 [https://perma.cc/6AKG-HTUS]; Loresha Wilson,

Louisiana teen deaths highlight dangers of bullying, USA TODAY (Sept. 26, 2013,

5:50 PM), http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/25/student-bullying-

suicides/2867781/ [https://perma.cc/4P5H-4ZYZ].

2. Celizic, supra note 1 (recounting Jesse Logan’s suicide after her ex-

boyfriend shared nude photographs of her with their classmates).

3. Hodge & Murphy, supra note 1 (explaining 16-year-old Phoebe Connop’s

suicide after her peers cyberbullied her for making racially insensitive remarks).

4. Dean, supra note 1 (recounting Amanda Todd’s suicide after a man took nude

photographs of her during an online chat session and sent them to her classmates).

5. James, supr a note 1 (recounting Jamey Rodemeyer’s suicide after he was

bullied online with homophobic slurs).

6. Halligan & Halligan, supra note 1 (detailing Ryan Halligan’s suicide after

experiencing pervasive b ullying during face -to-face confrontations and online

communication).

7. Ley, supra note 1 (detailing Hope Sidwell’s suicide after her ex -boyfriend

shared nude photos of her with their classmates).

8. Megan ’s Story, supra note 1 (detailing 13-year-old Megan Meier’s

suicide after she was cat fished and cyberbullied, via social media, by an adult in

her neighborhood).

9. Wilson, sup ra note 1.

10. Id. (explaining the story of Katlin Loux’s tragic suicide one week after

her high school graduation because of pervasive bullying).

11. There is no uniform definition of cyberbullying. See, e.g., NANCY

WILLARD, EDUCATOR’S GUIDE TO CYBERBULLYING AND CYBERTHREATS 1 (Apr.

2007), https://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Other-Resources/School-

Safety/Safe-and-Supportive-Learning/Anti-Harassment-Intimidation-and-Bullying

-Resource/Educator-s-Guide-Cyber-Safety.pdf.aspx (defining cyberbullying as

“cruel[ty] to others by sending or posting harmful material or engaging in other

forms of social aggression using the Internet or other digital technologies”)

[https://perma.cc/ZSJ5-T5ZY]; MARCI FELDMAN HERTZ & CORINNE DAVID-

FERDON, CTRS. FOR DISEASE CONTROL & PREVENTION, ELECTRONIC MEDIA AND

YOUTH VIOLENCE: A CDC ISSUE BRIEF FOR EDUCATORS AND CAREGIVERS 3 (Jan.

2009), http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/EA-brief-a.pdf (defining

cyberbullying as “any kind of aggression perpetrated through technology—any type

of harassment or bullying (teasing, telling lies, making fun of someone, making rude

or mean comments, spreading rumors, or making threatening or aggressive

comments) that occurs through email, a chat room, instant messaging, a website

(including blogs), or text messaging”) [https://perma.cc/9GUX-NVAG]. Louisiana

defines cyberbullying as the “transmission of any electronic textual, visual, written, or