'Mallory's Law' Aims To Toughen NJ Anti-Bullying Laws

ROCKAWAY, NJ — Mallory Grossman's legacy continues to live on in the months after her suicide death: New anti-bullying legislation introduced in New Jersey bears the Rockaway 12-year-old's name, and was written in memory of her.

"Mallory's Law" was introduced to the State Senate by Senators Joe Pennacchio and Patrick Diegnan. If passed, it would add on to New Jersey's "Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights," widely considered to be one of the strongest anti-bullying laws in the country.

"Mallory Rose Grossman's story will help others. Her journey has been the inspiration for many in New Jersey to bring change to the way bullying issues are handled in and out of school. We are grateful to Senator Joe Pennacchio, Senator Patrick Diegnan and all of the administrative teams for working with us on 'Mallory's Law.' It's a law we believe is in the best interest of all of our children, schools and families," Mallory's parents, Seth and Dianne Grossman, said in a statement.

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 with their parents, and law enforcement would be notified to see if any crimes were committed.

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.

"My heart breaks for Mallory’s family," Pennacchio said in a statement. "We must take action to ensure no one ever goes through this again."

"Many people say that bullying doesn’t happen or that kids just need toughen up. I can tell you that bullying is still happening in our schools, and it is causing an enormous amount of psychological distress to our students," Diegnan said. "Our society struggles with handling mental health issues. We especially have to fix these issues when they affect young students in our schools. Unfortunately, we are too late for Mallory, a student who committed suicide after intense bullying. It shouldn’t take the loss of life for us to act."

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.

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:

• 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 [email protected].

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.

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