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Committee expands bullying statute to include all school employees in harassment offense
Summary
An amendment to HB 1733 broadened the statutory definition of bullying tied to the criminal harassment offense to cover all school employees, including nonlicensed assistants and custodial staff; sponsors said the change responds to local cases where boards had limited recourse.
Chairlady Moody (speaker 10) explained that amendment 1013498 to HB 1733 would expand the definition of bullying in the criminal harassment code to include all school employees after consulting with families affected by an incident in her district. "What it does, it will expand the definition of bullying as it relates to the criminal offense of harassment to include all school employees," she said.
Members asked clarifying questions about whether the change includes custodial and nonlicensed staff; Chairlady Moody said the bill was prompted by a local case where the employee involved was an assistant who was not a licensed teacher and the school board's options were limited. The amendment was adopted and HB 1733 moved to finance (vote recorded 19 ayes, 0 nays).
