House Bill 190 – 02/03/20 Amend KRS 158.148 to require that the code of acceptable behavior and discipline include appropriate reporting and escalation requirements of incidents of bullying, time requirements for investigation and response of incidents of bullying, and procedures for appeal and review of each incident of bullying.
Kentucky Revised Statutes Title XIII. Education § 158.148
(a) As used in this section, “bullying” means any unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated or has the potential to be repeated:
1. That occurs on school premises, on school-sponsored transportation, or at a school-sponsored event; or
2. That disrupts the education process.
(https://codes.findlaw.com/ky/title-xiii-education/ky-rev-st-sect-158-148.html)
HB 370 (introduced Feb 7, 2012) includes cyberbullying: (link defunct) Also allows students to express opinions on sexual orientation based on religious beliefs.
Criminal statute: 525.080 (Harassing communications): Chapter 125, H.B. 91; “Communicates, while enrolled as a student in a local school district, with or about another school student, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone, the Internet, telegraph, mail, or any other form of electronic or written communication in a manner which a reasonable person under the circumstances should know would cause the other student to suffer fear of physical harm, intimidation, humiliation, or embarrassment and which serves no purpose of legitimate communication.” Punishment is a Class B misdemeanor.
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Statrev/ACTS2008/0125.pdf; Each local board of education shall be responsible for formulating a code of acceptable behavior and discipline to apply to the students in each school operated by the board.
SB228, April 19, 2016: As used in this section, “bullying” means any unwanted verbal, physical, or social behavior among students that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and is repeated or has the potential to be repeated:
- That occurs on school premises, on school-sponsored transportation, or at a school-sponsored event; or
- That disrupts the education process.
(link defunct)
