I am a lifelong resident of Covington, Indiana; a wholesome, family town of approximately 2600. On March 6, 2023, 13 year old Terry Badger III, a Covington middle school 7th grader, did the unthinkable and committed suicide due to excessive bullying. Terry was a wonderful son, nephew, friend, student, baseball player, and all around good kid. According to his parents, Terry Jr and Robyn Badger, as well as multiple news outlets, Covington Middle School was aware of the bullying. Terry III went to school every day in agony, carrying the weight of his pain and hurt. His life ended much too soon, and maybe this could have been prevented if there were interventions in place.
I post this change.org petition in hopes to get the attention of the Indiana General Assembly. Currently, House Bill 1483 sits on their docket, waiting to be passed. HB 1483 intends to prevent bullying in schools by doing the following:
Prohibiting bullying in schools. Requires the governing body of a school corporation to: (1) require a school corporation to prioritize the safety of a victim of an act of bullying; (2) require a school corporation to report an act of bullying to the parents of the victim within three business days and the parents of an alleged perpetrator within five business days after the incident is reported; (3) require a school corporation to determine the severity of an incident of bullying and whether the incident may warrant transfer of the victim or the alleged perpetrator to another school in theschool corporation; (4) require a school corporation to approve the transfer of a victim or the alleged perpetrator of an act of bullying to another school in the school corporation under certain circumstances; and (5) allow certain parents to review audiovisual materials that contain graphic sexual or violent content used in a bullying prevention or suicide prevention program.
PLEASE, I beg of you, let’s not put another one of our children to rest too soon. Tell the Indiana general assembly that the schools NEED stronger bullying prevention/interventions in place.
Let’s blow this petition up and show them this is an Indiana statewide and national issue.
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