New state law requires private schools to protect against bullying

A newly signed New York State law is designed to expand anti-bullying protections to private schools and require those institutions to investigate reported incidents and establish clear enforcement policies.

Known as the Jack Reid Law — named after a student who died by suicide in New Jersey after he was bullied over false allegations — the bill was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Nov. 7 to coincide with International Day Against Violence and Bullying at School, which is observed on the first Thursday of November.

The law aims to build on the Dignity for all Students Act, which took effect in 2012 and is designed to provide public elementary and secondary school students with a safe and supportive environment without discrimination, intimidation, taunting, harassment, and bullying on school property, a school bus, and/or at a school function, according to the New York State Education Department. The new legislation largely replicates the scope of the Dignity for all Students Act for non-public schools, though there is at least one difference: The Dignity for All Students Act requires public schools to come up with policies and procedures to prevent bullying, harassment, and discrimination, while the new law only requires schools to create policies pertaining to bullying and harassment — not discrimination.

The bill was carried in the upper chamber by out gay State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal of Manhattan and in the Assembly by Long Island Assemblymember Michaelle Solages of District 22, which is just northeast of John F. Kennedy International Airport.

“Bullying and harassment run rampant through schools, yet for the last 15 years, New York’s Dignity for All Students Act has only covered public schools, leaving the state’s 420,000 non-public school students unprotected,” Hoylman-Sigal said in a written statement. “Thanks to the leadership of the Jack Reid Foundation and the support of Governor Hochul, that gaping hole ends today. The Jack Reid Law is a common-sense solution that will require non-public schools to adopt clear anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, promptly investigate reported bullying and harassment, and take appropriate action to protect victims and stop bullying and harassment.”

Reid’s parents, Elizabeth and Bill Reid, praised the new law, stating that they’ve worked to honor their son’s life to prevent others from enduring the same fate.

“The passage of the Jack Reid Law in New York is a crucial step forward, but it is not the finish line – we look forward to building on this progress and advancing similar protections across the country,” they said. “All children deserve to live in a world where their well-being and happiness are not compromised by the cruelty of bullying.”

Hochul, invoking her own role as a mother, also celebrated the new law.

“The Jack Reid Law protects kids from the harmful impacts bullying can have on their lives,” Hochul said. “Every student deserves to feel safe when they’re learning, online with fellow students, or enjoying school events off campus, no matter what school they’re enrolled in. As New York’s first mom-governor, I will always stand up for the safety and well-being of our children and do everything in my power to make sure no family endures the kind of heartbreak that inspired this law.”