State & Local Laws

David's Law, Senate Bill 179

Bullying means a single significant act or a pattern of acts by one or more students directed at another student that exploits an imbalance of power and involves engaging in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct. Bullying includes cyberbullying and cyberstalking.

Bullying exists when a student or group of students engages in written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct that occurs on or off school property, at a school-sponsored or school-related activity, or in a vehicle operated by the district and a school district’s board of trustees or the board’s designee determines that the behavior:

1. Has the effect or will have the effect of physically harming a student, damaging a student’s property, or placing a student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or of damage to the student’s property; or

2. Is sufficiently severe, persistent, and pervasive enough that the action or threat creates an intimidating, threatening, or abusive educational environment for a student.

3. Materially and substantially disrupts the educational process or the orderly operation of a classroom or school; or

4. Infringes on the rights of the victim at school.

This conduct is considered bullying if it:

1. Exploits an imbalance of power between the student perpetrator who is engaging in bullying and the student victim through written or verbal expression, expression through electronic means, or physical conduct; and NEISD Secondary Student/Parent Handbook 121  

2. Interferes with a student’s education or substantially disrupts the operation of a classroom, school, or school-sponsored or school-related activity. [TEC 37.0832]

Board Policy FFI (Legal) and FFI (Local) address bullying in our District.