Hochul signs legislation to combat bullying in schools across state

Jack Reid Law: Protect All Students Act will require private schools to adopt antibullying policies

Submitted by the Office of Gov. Kathy Hochul

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the signing of the Jack Reid Law: Protect All Students Act, in recognition of the International Day Against Violence and Bullying at School. This bill aims to protect students attending private schools from bullying, discrimination or harassment when at school, online or at a school event. It also requires private schools to strengthen or develop clear antibullying policies and reporting procedures.

The Jack Reid Law honors the memory of Jack Reid, a 17-year-old student who tragically died by suicide in 2022 after experiencing bullying for a year at the boarding school he attended.

“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.”

With this law, all schools in New York, now including nonpublic schools, are required to have strong policies and procedures in place that teachers and school staff are trained to properly implement when bullying is reported. The law requires schools to implement a commonsense approach to address bullying among students, including:

•Prohibiting bullying or harassment that occurs at school, online, or during a school function whether on or off campus.

•Adopting a clearly defined antibullying and harassment policy available to parents, students and school staff.

•Establishing clear reporting and investigation obligations.

Earlier this year, the governor secured a landmark victory ensuring New York as one of the first states to require statewide, bell-to-bell restrictions on smartphones in K-12 schools. Signing the Jack Reid Law, together with earlier implementation of New York’s statewide cell-phone policy, are part of Hochul’s commitment to ensuring that students’ safety and focus can remain on learning while at school. 

Elizabeth and Bill Reid, parents of Jack Reid, said, “We are deeply grateful to Gov. Hochul, Sen. Hoylman-Sigal and Assemblywoman Solages, and the co-sponsors, for their dedication and leadership to protecting all students in New York. After we lost our son, Jack, we made a promise to honor his life by protecting others from the pain he endured. 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. All children deserve to live in a world where their well-being and happiness are not compromised by the cruelty of bullying.”