Advocates Call on the Legislature to Protect Students from Bullying and Harassment
AUSTIN • April 29, 2025 – Today, the Texas House Committee on Public Education will hear public testimony on HB 1405, which strengthens Texas laws relating to prevention and response to bullying and harassment in schools.
Incidents of targeted bullying, harassment, and hate crimes are on the rise in Texas and across the nation. According to the TEA, 4,099 bullying incidents were reported in the 2023-24 school year, an 11% increase from the previous year.
Nationally, one out of four bullied students in this country experience bullying related to their race, national origin, religion, disability or gender, according to GAO. In addition, ADL reports that the threat of this harmful behavior is heightened for Texas students, who have experienced unprecedented levels of harassment and hate crimes since 2021.
To address this crisis, Rep. Ron Reynolds, former Chairman of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, and Sen. José Menéndez, Chairman of the Senate Hispanic Caucus, filed HB 1405 and SB 1445 to strengthen Texas laws prohibiting and preventing bullying and harassment in schools.
Last session, a powerful coalition of students, parents, educators and advocacy groups began a movement to demand that the Legislature act to end discriminatory bullying in Texas schools.
“We must act now to reverse this alarming and unacceptable trend,” said Rep. Reynolds. “No student should be hurt or pushed out of school by discriminatory bullying and harassment. It is past time to provide Texas schools with the necessary guidance and tools needed to keep our students safe. I am proud to continue the work we began last session alongside students, families, and organizations like the Senate Hispanic Caucus and IDRA to pass this critical legislation and effectively address the bullying crisis in Texas.”
Last year, the FBI reported an all-time high for reported incidents of hate crimes from 2018 to 2022. Schools are now the third most common place where hate crimes occur. The most common bias motivation for hate crimes in schools was race or color, with 69% of hate crime incidents reported by Black students. Antisemitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-LGBTQ+ offenses were also reported at increasing levels.
“We have taken important steps to support our students and schools by requiring minimum standards for cyberbullying prevention in schools,” said Sen. Menéndez. “However, Texas can and must do more to ensure that schools have clear guidance to investigate and eliminate all forms of bullying and harassment, so that we do not lose any more children. This legislation provides a framework to coordinate responses and support for all students involved in a bullying incidents and ensures that parents are properly informed of incidents that involve their children.”
Over 25 organizations have expressed support for the legislation, including student and parent groups, teacher and administrator organizations, disability rights advocates, mental health experts, and civil rights organizations.
“Discriminatory bullying and harassment is unacceptable but not surprising given our current climate,” said Paige Duggins-Clay, J.D., IDRA Chief Legal Analyst. “Students across our state are being targeted because of who they are, and students and parents are seeking accountability and support. The Texas Legislature must act this session to make clear all bullying – including discriminatory bullying – are prohibited and ensure that schools have clear guidelines for preventing, investigating, and eliminating bullying and harassment.”
IDRA also has resources for schools for interrupting and preventing bullying in schools.
Media contacts
Senate Hispanic Caucus contact: Pearl Cruz, executive director, 512-463-0126 (pearl.cruz@senate.texas.gov)
Texas Legislative Black Caucus contact: Executive director, 469-288-5676
IDRA media contact: Thomas Marshall III, M.Ed., IDRA policy communications strategist (thomas.marshall@idra.org)
