'Mallory's Law' Sails Through The NJ State Senate

ROCKAWAY, NJ — "Mallory's Law," a new bill that aims to toughen New Jersey's already stringent anti-bullying laws, was approved unanimously in the Senate on Thursday.

An identical bill in the Assembly is still in the Assembly Education Committee. The bill must be passed by both houses before it can head to Gov. Phil Murphy's desk. The governor's office has previously declined to discuss is support for specific pieces of legislation before they are passed by both houses.

The bill is named for Mallory Grossman, a 12-year-old gymnast and cheerleader from Rockaway, who took her own in 2017 life after relentless bullying, her parents said.

One of the key features of Mallory's Law is the inclusion of the accused-bully's parents in the process. Under the new bill, parents could face civil liabilities if they show "blatant disregard of supervising their child, [or] if their child has been judged to be delinquent of harassment or cyber harassment," a press release says, and parents would be subject to anti-bullying education classes.

"Incidents of bullying should not be solely handled by the schools – the problem is much larger than that," said Sen. Joe Pennacchio, a Republican from Morris County. "Parents must be engaged in the process as well. This legislation standardizes the reporting process while increasing transparency and accountability at every level. There is no doubt that Mallory’s Law will go a long way to combating bullying in every school in New Jersey."

"Although New Jersey’s 'Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights' is considered to be one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the country, students have continued to be victimized, especially on social media, to the point of suicide. Hopefully, this bill will equip schools with the tools to combat this epidemic," Sen. Patrick Diegnan, a Democrat from Middlesex County, said, adding that suicide is the second leading cause of death for children ages 10-14.

Under Mallory's law, the reporting and notification process for bullying incidents would be expanded: any accounts of bullying would be sent to the executive county superintendent and the parents of any students involved.

Any student found guilty of bullying would have the incident placed on their permanent record. After three proven bullying incidents, a student and their parents would be required to attend an anti-bullying training session, and law enforcement would be notified to see if any crimes were committed.

The Grossmans have become anti-bullying advocates in the wake of their daughter's death, launching the advocacy group Mallory's Army. Dianne Grossman conducts workshops and speeches to share her daughter's story and call for anti-bullying prevention efforts.

Mallory's Army was previously honored in the Senate with a resolution recognizing their efforts.
Mallory Grossman took her own life following what her parents have said was horrific bullying. The Grossman family said in a lawsuit that the school failed to prevent bullying from four classmates, and administrator's actions made Mallory's suffering worse.

According to the suit, a group of four girls bullied Mallory at home via social media, in the classroom, and in the lunchroom, actions the family claims directly led to Mallory's suicide death on June 14, 2017. The suit says the school district fell short of a legal obligation to prevent bullying.

"'Mallory's Law' requires school and county officials to address bullying situations before an incident escalates into an irreversible tragedy," said Pennacchio. "Increasing transparency and accountability, while standardizing this process, will help us put an end to this crisis."

School officials have generally declined to comment, citing privacy laws, but issued a statement in August 2017 calling claims they failed to act "categorically false."

No criminal charges were filed in Mallory's death, a move the Grossman family lawyer called disappointing.

"An indictment would certainly send a message to others that this conduct is not acceptable and has consequences," Bruce Nagel, the Grossman family lawyer, told Patch.

Read More About Mallory Grossman:

• 6 Of The Most Disturbing Claims In NJ Bullying Death Lawsuit
• 1 Year Later, Mallory Grossman Lives On In Anti-Bullying Efforts
• Mallory Grossman's Mom Shares Painful New Bullying Details
• Bullying Of Mallory Grossman, 12, Detailed In Wrongful Death Suit
• 'Mallory's Army' Fights Back Against Bullying After 12-Year-Old's Sudden Death

THE BULLY MENACE: WHAT'S AHEAD

Several experts have agreed to answer Patch readers' questions about bullying, ranging from how to keep their kids from becoming targets to what to do if their kids are the bullies. We'll also delve into some of the issues surrounding bullying — Take a look back at some of the stories in our series:

• Bullied To Death: When Kids Kill With Words
• America's Shameful Truth About School Shooters And Bullying
• They All Failed Changed Child: Malden Bullying Detailed
• Bullies, Their Targets The Same In A Surprising Number Of Cases
• 'Everyday, I Wear Your Words,' Teen Tells Bullies In Video
• Teen's 'I Wear Your Words' Video Inspires Nashville Songwriters
• Bullying Of Mallory Grossman, 12, Spelled Out In Wrongful Death Lawsuit
• Poetry Teacher Helps Bullied Kids Open Their Tortured Minds
• Why These Kindergartners Start Each Day With A Simple Handshake

If you have a question or want to share your story, please email bullies@patch.com.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, or text the Crisis Text Line at 741-741.