Committee hears bill to require district accountability for cross‑district bullying and cyberbullying investigations

Representative Valerie McDonald presented House Bill 108, which would direct that when bullying or cyberbullying occurs across multiple school districts, the district where the action originated is responsible for investigating the complaint. McDonald said the bill is intended to resolve ambiguity that in a prior high‑profile incident left no district taking investigative ownership.

Sponsor and committee members discussed complexities: Representative Selig and others noted incidents can cross state lines or involve students who are not enrolled in public school (private or homeschooled) and asked how police involvement and out‑of‑district perpetrators would be handled; McDonald said she is open to amendments and that stakeholders (NHSBA, NHSAA and the attorney general’s office) were working on a draft amendment encouraging collaboration and clarifying roles.

Barry Christina (NHSBA) offered a draft amendment read into the record: when bullying or cyberbullying involves multiple districts, the principals (or designees) of all districts involved shall conduct an investigation and are encouraged to collaborate and coordinate. School administrators and association witnesses supported the general objective and asked the committee to ensure clear processes and a practical chain of communication.

Law enforcement involvement and data‑collection implications were discussed; Representative Selig and others noted that more serious incidents that require police will have additional cost and jurisdiction issues. Witnesses including Jerry Frew (NHSAA) and district administrators said hundreds of bullying incidents are investigated and resolved each year, but that cross‑district investigations require clearer responsibility assignments. The committee did not vote; stakeholders said they would continue drafting cooperative language for a subsequent work session.