During the Oct. 22 ASUO Senate meeting, VP Miles Sisk issued a warning

to the operators of the blogs that he accused of cyberbullying members of the senate: To shut them down in the next 48 hours or he would hand over the IP addresses to administration.

Now that almost two weeks have passed, it would seem that following through on this threat has proved more difficult than anyone on the senate originally planned. The exact blogs in question have not been revealed, but repeat offenders ASUO Conservative Problems and ASUO Progressive Problems – which created controversy in the ASUO last year – are suspects.

Sisk says that he was still working on obtaining the IP addresses with the help of a friend. In addition, it’s possible that the university could liaise with Google to get ahold of Google Plus accounts to identify the authors of the blogs, according to Sisk.

However, even in the event that the IP addresses are secured and the situation is brought to the attention of the Office of the Dean of Students, it may not be so easy to take the blog down. First Amendment rights give these people the freedom to post whatever opinions they hold, whether positive or negative. Chicora Martin, Assistant Dean of Students, offered some insight into what kinds of harassing behaviors would engender action on the part of the university.

“We don’t have a specific code by which we deal with cyberbullying, and online or not, we go by the same criteria. If the content is perceived as threatening either physically or emotionally, there could be formal conduct charges brought,” Martin said. She recommended a reviewal of the student code of conduct for anyone seeking clarification regarding unacceptable behavior and the potential sanctions.

Essentially, if the Senate can provide definitive corroboration that any member is being caused or threatened with physical or psychological harm, it has a case against the still-unidentified culprits. Otherwise, it seems unlikely that tracing the negative feedback to its origins will produce much progress. Presently, evidence for this kind of harassment has yet to surface.

This is not to trivialize the matter by any means. Anonymous criticism and debasement of members of ASUO does next to nothing to help the organization improve itself in any way.

Senator Andrew Lubash was among the staff that witnessed the spread of bullying comments last school year. “They contribute to a negative atmosphere and really polarize the body, not to mention the personal impact on the person that they’re talking to,” he said.

Since the allegations were first brought to light, there have been concerns expressed that the problem may, in fact, be internal; or in other words, coming from members or former members of the senate. If this is the case, Senate President Rebecca Rhodes wants to make it clear that she will not tolerate anything less than inclusiveness within the organization.

“That is not the ASUO that I’m trying to make and that’s not the Senate I want to be a part of,” Rhodes said.

For now, those responsible for the blogs continue to remain anonymous. Even if identities are revealed, it may be a far more arduous and prolonged movement to see any penalties implemented.

Follow Kaylee on Twitter @ka_tornay