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Bill would form study committee on school bullying after community concerns; victims urged to testify
Summary
Sen. Donovan Fenton proposed Senate Bill 210 to create a study committee on school bullying; testimony included calls from a Salem resident describing racial bullying at her high school and urging inclusion of victims and frontline organizations in committee hearings.
Senator Donovan Fenton introduced Senate Bill 210 to establish a study committee on school bullying, citing statewide incidents and recent community concerns in Keene. "We know that bullying is a serious issue that affects students across New Hampshire," Fenton told the committee, urging a proactive, evidence-based review of prevention and response.
Why it matters: Sponsor said the committee should identify best practices, policy gaps and whether additional legislative action is needed to ensure schools have sufficient resources and training to prevent and respond to bullying.
Public testimony and scope: Betty Gay, a former three-term state representative from Salem, described learning "that in Salem, at the high school, bullying still takes place for black kids. Blatant. You can't be in our group because you're black." Gay urged the committee to invite frontline organizations, victims and experts, and to consider responses that offer meaningful repercussions rather than nominal ones. She suggested a three-step consequence model (warning, meaningful supervised consequence, suspension) to ensure accountability and cited confusion among educators and victims about legal remedies and enforcement.
Committee logistics: Representatives asked about the committee's size and membership. Representative Freeman noted that similar study committees have had broader participation; the sponsor said the draft called for a small legislative panel but was open to amendment. Representative Selleck encouraged using invitations to bring a wide range of outside organizations to the committee's organizational meeting; Senator Fenton and others said they planned to recess the hearing to a later date to allow additional witnesses to appear.
Ending: The committee recessed the hearing to a later date to allow additional witnesses and victims to testify; members emphasized the importance of including both service providers and victims in future meetings.
