Southern Nevada parents testify for bill to fight bullying

CARSON CITY — The parents of three children who were reportedly bullied in the Clark County School District, including one middle school student who committed suicide, gave emotional testimony Tuesday in support of a bill sought by Gov. Brian Sandoval to combat the problem.

Parents Mary Bryan, Jason Lamberth and Aimee Hairr told their stories to a joint meeting of the Senate and Assembly Education committees in support of Senate Bill 504, which seeks a number of measures to combat bullying in Nevada schools.

The sons of Bryan and Hairr claim in a lawsuit filed against school district officials that they were shoved and called homophobic names. One of them was stabbed in the groin with a pencil, which required medical attention, and the other contemplated suicide.

In the other case, White Middle School student Hailee Lamberth committed suicide and pointed to bullying as a reason in her suicide note, according to her father.

In that instance, the school district kept from Lamberth’s family that another student harassed her three weeks before the suicide, not revealing the bullying report until her father received a tip to request her student file.

Bryan said school officials were indifferent to the cruelty inflicted on her son and his friend by fellow students. Numerous other witnesses told their powerful stories of bullying involving themselves or their children to the committees.

Michon Martin, chief counsel to Sandoval, said the bill would change the definition of bullying so there are no gray areas when it occurs, require same-day notification when a bullying incident is reported, require investigations within 48 hours, and impose consequences when parents are not notified as required.

The bill would also set up an office for a safe and respectful learning environment under the state superintendent of public instruction, establish a hotline and ensure there are resources to conduct investigations, Martin said.

Sandoval has also included a new program in his budget called Social Workers in Schools, which would provide $36 million in grants to combat bullying. There is no state funding now.

Dale Erquiaga, state superintendent of public instruction, said the agency today has limited involvement with cases of bullying. SB504 would change that by giving the department the ability to investigate bullying cases. There were some concerns expressed about elements of the measure, including the suggestion that the definition of bullying was too broad.

Carlos McDade, general counsel for the Clark County School District, said the language in the bill must be well defined. He also said that resources need to be provided so that teachers and administrators can successfully implement the measure should it become law.