Senator Walczyk co-sponsoring proposal that would require school administrators to notify parents for verified harassment, bullying or discrimination

ALBANY, NY- New York State Senator Mark Walczyk says he is proud to sponsor ‘Jacobe’s Law,’ a proposal that would require school officials to notify parents when there is verified harassment, bullying or discrimination in school.

“Parents have a right to know what’s going on with their kids, period,” the Senator said. “Schools are required to report bullying incidents to the State Department of Education but not even a call home – that’s wrong.”

The measure is named after Jacobe Taras, who tragically took his own life after enduring harassment and bullying in school.

Approximately one out of every three students across the U.S. say they have faced some sort of bullying.

The extra step of informing parents of bullying incidents is incredibly important to averting future tragedies in our state's youth, the Senator said. 

PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center, 41% of students who reported being bullied at school indicated that they think the bullying would happen again.

Jacobe's law works in conjunction with the 2010 legislation, Dignity for All Students Act, to strengthen the protocol for parental notification of bullying incidents.

While DASA includes provisions that streamline the protocol schools must follow when it comes to reporting bullying incidents to the New York State Department of Education, this law would clarify the requirements for schools to make reasonable and good faith efforts to inform parents of incidents as well.

Brought forth by Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, Senator Walczyk joins sixteen other members of the New York State Senate in bi-partisan support of this bill.

Image via the office of New York State Senator Mark Walczyk.