Utah lawmakers push to strengthen bullying reporting rules

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah lawmakers are considering a proposal that would require schools throughout the state collect additional data on bullying, including bullied students’ race, gender, age and disability status. The proposal advanced through a committee in the Utah House on Friday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Rep. Sandra Hollins, the bill’s sponsor, said the proposal was inspired by the suicide of a Black fifth-grader who died after reports of bullying and racism in a North Salt Lake City school. It comes amid a nationwide reckoning over racism that has compelled legislatures and school boards to confront pervasive racism and bullying, including in Las Vegas, Minnesota and New Mexico.