House lawmakers, families and advocates renew call for anti-bullying legislation in Pa.

HARRISBURG, June 26

At a Capitol news conference on Monday, the family of Sammy Teusch, a child who was bullied at his school in Indiana and died by suicide on May 5, joined state Reps. Danilo Burgos and Joe Hohenstein, both D-Phila.; Jennifer O’Mara, D-Delaware; Kiria Cora, executive director of the Cora Foundation; and others to call upon the legislature to act on anti-bullying legislation.

The legislation includes O’Mara’s House Bill 1293, which would require schools to notify parents and legal guardians when their child is involved in or experiences bullying, and a comprehensive series of bills known as the Rights and Protections for All Students package, introduced by Hohenstein and others.

The urgent plea follows a series of meetings with advocates and the families of victims of bulling – including the Teusch family. The lawmakers said increased bullying incidents have profound impacts on students’ mental health, academic performance and overall well-being.