An anti-bullying bill would protect thousands of N.J. students in private and parochial schools
New Jersey already has some of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the country for the state’s nearly 600 public school districts.
After a year of bullying at the Lawrenceville School, an elite boarding school near Trenton, Jack Reid died by suicide. He was 17.
Following the death of their only son in April 2022, his parents, Elizabeth and Bill Reid have embarked on a mission to channel their grief into action.
The New York couple are on a crusade to get anti-bullying laws passed in every state to better protect students who attend private schools. The school acknowledged that Jack was bullied for over a year and said “more should have been done to protect Jack.”
“I am not going to let this rest,” said Elizabeth Reid. “We are focused on getting every school to embrace this because they should. I’m not going to leave one kid behind.”
So far, Jack’s Law has been adopted in New York and six other states, requiring nonpublic schools to adopt an anti-harassment and bullying policy. A similar bill is pending in Pennsylvania.
And now, New Jersey could be next. A measure recently introduced in Trenton by state Sen. Shirley Turner, (D., Mercer) cleared the Education Committees in the Senate and Assembly. It would prohibit nonpublic school students from harassing or bullying another nonpublic school student, whether on school property, at a school function, or off school property. Schools would also be required to establish procedures for reporting and investigating alleged incidents and take appropriate action to protect students when bullying is confirmed.
New Jersey already has some of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the country for the state’s nearly 600 public school districts. Nonpublic schools are encouraged, but not required to comply with the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights Act.
“It would strengthen and broaden the bullying law. It’s a situation where we need to make sure every child can feel safe coming to school,” Turner said in an interview.
The bill has been endorsed by the Lawrenceville School, which said it has revised its anti-bullying rules and already has adopted a policy that aligns with the proposed legislation. The bill also has support from religious and independent schools that typically seek to maintain autonomy and oppose state mandates.
“Every student deserves to learn and live in a community where they are treated with dignity and respect. This bill is an important step toward that aim,” Lisa Gillard, a Lawrenceville spokesperson, said in a statement.
» READ MORE: Bullying in N.J. schools has jumped to its highest level ever, state report finds
As part of its settlement with the Reids, Lawrenceville admitted that it was aware of the bullying against Jack but failed to protect him. A statement posted on the school’s website on the one-year anniversary of his death in April 2023 acknowledged that failure. Lawrenceville agreed to hire a dean who focuses on student mental health and implement other corrective actions.
“The School acknowledges that bullying and unkind behavior, and actions taken or not taken by the School, likely contributed to Jack’s death,” Lawrenceville said in the statement. The school conducted a five-month investigation into Jack’s death.
» READ MORE: What N.J. law dictates schools should do to crack down on bullying
If signed into law, the measure would extend the anti-bullying mandate that applies to all public schools to nearly 160,000 students who attend private and religious schools.
“Bullying can have devastating consequences, and those consequences do not stop at the doors of a public school,” said Assembly Education Committee Co-chairman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D-Hunterdon, Mercer).
Shlomo Schorr, director of legislative affairs for Agudath Israel of America’s New Jersey office said the organization supports the bill, but has some concerns because the bill would hold schools accountable for behavior that occurs off campus and that would be difficult to manage. The organization represents about 200 Jewish day schools that enroll about 73,000 students.
“In general, we are absolutely not opposed to anything that would combat bullying and harassment,” Schorr said. “It was a real tragedy, a tremendous tragedy that should never have happened.”
The New Jersey Catholic Conference of Education also has offered support, said director George Corwell. All Diocesan schools already have anti-bullying policies, he said.
The Reids said it was only while investigating their son’s death did they learn the Lawrenceville School procedures for how it handled bullying and harassment complaints were lacking.
Jack was a sophomore when he transferred to Lawrenceville after attending the Buckley School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, his parents said. He wanted to attend a bigger school close to home with a national reputation, his mother said.
At first, Jack was happy with his school choice, easily making friends, his parents said. His troubles began his junior year around the time he decided to run in a school election, they said.
Jack narrowly won a hotly contested race in September 2021, his parents said. His opponent became an instigator and started a rumor that Jack had made unwanted sexual advances to a girl he liked, according to the parents.
The rumor escalated to a sexual assault allegation and spread at Lawrenceville, to other schools, and to thousands of young people online, they said.
His parents said Jack dealt with the bullying and harassment for six months, notifying administrators. He talked with his parents, and they contacted school officials, his mother said.
“He struggled because it hurts when they go after the thing you value most, which is your character,” Elizabeth Reid said. “He preserved through all of it and kept showing up.”
Lawrenceville said the student targeting Jack, who previously had been disciplined for bullying him, was expelled for an unrelated violation, but the student was allowed to return to campus unsupervised.
The student and others gathered outside Jack’s dorm, where they said “harsh words about Jack,” Lawrenceville said. School administrators didn’t check on Jack, Lawrenceville said.
As the crowd chanted horrible things, Jack died by suicide with a Bible in his shorts, his mother said. Just a day before, he said “I feel good, Dad.”
“From the moment he was born, he was a beautiful soul,” his mother said. “We miss him dearly. He is the love of our life.”
He died never knowing that Lawrenceville investigated the sexual assault allegations and determined that they were untrue, the school said in the statement. The bill would require schools to notify students about the outcome of bullying investigations.
“Do you know how much that would have helped him?” said Elizabeth Reid, a clinical psychologist. “It would have helped Jack defend himself.”
Diane Sammons, a lawyer who represents the family of Felicia LoAlbo-Melendez, an 11-year-old Mount Holly girl who died by suicide in 2023, believes Jack’s Law is a step in the right direction.
“New Jersey has a standard to keep kids safe in school. And if you’re in a residential school, it’s even a greater requirement,” Sammons said.
Sammons wants New Jersey to toughen its antibullying laws by implementing an anonymous bullying reporting system, easing immunity statutes that make it difficult for parents to sue districts, and imposing criminal penalties for the parents of children who bully their peers.
The Reids said their bill may not be perfect, but it’s a start. Jack would have wanted them to push to get the law passed in every state, they said, and they cope with their grief by leaning on their faith and advocating for Jack’s Law.
“Could we get to all 50 states? Maybe not in my lifetime,” Elizabeth said. “But we’re going to try. These are children and we need to better protect them.”
If you or someone you know may be considering suicide, help is available:
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers help in more than 150 languages. Call or text 988. En Español, marca al 1-888-628-9454. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, call 1-800-799-4889.
- The Philadelphia Suicide and Crisis Center offers guidance and assessment about depression, self harm, hopelessness, anger, addiction, and relationship problems, at 215-686-4420.
- Veterans Crisis Chat is available at 1-800-273-8255 or by text at 838255.
- The Trevor Project offers crisis support to LGBTQ youth. Call 1-866-488-7386, text START to 678678, or start a chat.
