INDIANA – A new state law is adding regulations for how schools handle reports of bullying.
House Enrolled Act 1483 would require Indiana schools to notify the parents of a bullying victim within three business days that an incident has been reported and to notify the parents of an alleged bullying perpetrator within five business days.
It also requires schools to determine the severity of the bullying and whether the incident merits the transfer of the victim or perpetrator to a different school within the district for the victim’s safety.
The law takes effect on July 1.
State Rep. Vernon Smith (D-Gary) has introduced the legislation for years. He believes the suicide of a bullied Covington student spurred legislators to act this year.
“The situation that really, I think, made a difference in getting this legislation passed was the Terry Badger III situation, which was so sad and so emotional,” Rep. Smith said.
Terry, 13, killed himself at home in Covington, Indiana, on March 6. In his final moments, his parents said, he recorded a video on his cellphone in which he named bullies at school and said they were the reason he was taking his own life.
Terry’s death has galvanized support for an Indiana state bill that would create a statewide blueprint for schools to end bullying. The bill passed in the state House in February but had languished in the state Senate until Terry’s death put a renewed spotlight on it, with more than 86,400 people signing a change.org petition urging the Indiana General Assembly to take action
Lawmakers may revisit the legislation in the future, Rep. Smith said.
“The main thing is we’ve gotten people sensitive to the fact that we must deal with this issue,” he added.
Rep. Smith requested the new law be called TB3’s Law, after Terry.
“I definitely think this law would have saved Terry,” Democratic State Rep. Vernon G. Smith said. “But now it will save persons in the future.”
Terry’s parents agree.
