Students

Plain English Breakdown

The bill text does not provide details on enforcement mechanisms.

Expanding Bullying Laws to Include School Employees

This bill changes Tennessee's laws about bullying by including school employees in the definition of who can bully students.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the law so that if a school employee bullies a student, it is now against the law.
• Clarifies that when a school employee bullies another person, the victim must be a student.
• Requires schools to include rules about how employees should behave in their policies.

Who It Names or Affects

• Students who might experience bullying from both students and school employees.
• School districts that must update their policies on student behavior to include rules about employee conduct.
• Teachers and other school staff who could face consequences if they bully a student.

Terms To Know

Bullying

When someone repeatedly tries to hurt, scare, or control another person in ways that affect their ability to learn or feel safe at school.

School employee

An employee of a private school, an LEA, a public charter school, or other public school.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify how schools will enforce these new rules.
• It is unclear what specific actions by employees would be considered bullying under this law.

Official Summary Text

Present law provides that a
person commits an offense who intentionally
e
ngages in bullying
, which is
an act committed by a student that substantially interferes with another student's educational benefits, opportunities, or performance
, and includes either of the following, depending on location of the action:



If the act takes place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored activity, on school-provided equipment or transportation
,
or at any official school bus stop, the act has the effect of
(i
)
p
hysically harming the other student or damaging the other student's property; or (ii)
k
nowingly placing the other student or students in reasonable fear of physical harm to the other student or damage to the student's propert
y.



If the act takes place off school property or outside of a school-sponsored activity,
the act
is directed specifically at another student or students and has the effect of creating a substantial disruption to the education environment or learning process
.

For
acts committed on or after July 1, 2026
, this bill changes the description of bullying as described above to, instead, include such
act
s
committed by
a school employee. As used in this bill, a "s
chool employee
" means
an employee of a private school, an LEA, a public charter school, or other public school
. Additionally, this bill clarifies that if
the act is committed by a school employee
, then the victim of bullying is a student.
If the act is committed by a student, then
the victim is
another stude
nt
.

POLICIES

Present law requires e
ach school district
to
adopt a policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, bullying
,
or cyber-bullying.

School districts are encouraged to develop the policy
after consultation with parents and guardians, school employees, volunteers, students, administrators
,
and community representatives.

School districts
must
include in the policies
a
description of the type of behavior expected from each student
. This bill adds that the districts must additionally include in the policies a
description of the type of behavior expected from each
school employee.

This bill provides that a
teacher or school employee found to have committed an act of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyberbullying is subject to dismissal or suspension.

INSUBORDINATION

With regard to teachers' tenure, present law lists several situations that may constitute a teacher's insubordination. This bill adds to the list c
ommitting an act of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyberbullying in violation of the school district's
policy.

Current Bill Text

SENATE BILL 1774
By Rose

HOUSE BILL 1733
By Moody
HB1733
011241
- 1 -

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 37;
Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 3; Title 40; Title 49 and
Title 55, Chapter 10, Part 7, relative to
harassment.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-308(e), is amended by
deleting subdivision (1) and substituting:
(1) "Bullying" means an act committed by a school employee or student that
substantially interferes with a victim's educational benefits, opportunities, or
performance; and:
(A) If the act takes place on school grounds, at any school-sponsored
activity, on school-provided equipment or transportation, or at any official school
bus stop, the act has the effect of:
(i) Physically harming the victim or damaging the victim's
property; or
(ii) Knowingly placing the victim or victims in reasonable fear of
physical harm to the victim or damage to the victim's property; or
(B) If the act takes place off school property or outside of a school-
sponsored activity, is directed specifically at a victim or victims and has the effect
of creating a substantial disruption to the education environment or learning
process;
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-308(e), is amended by adding
the following appropriately designated subdivisions:

- 2 - 011241

( ) "School employee" means an employee of a private school, an LEA, a public
charter school, or other public school;
( ) "Victim" means:
(A) If the act is committed by a school employee, then any student; and
(B) If the act is committed by a student, then another student;
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4503(b)(3), is amended by
adding "and school employee" after "each student".
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-6-4503, is amended by adding
the following as a new subsection:
(e) A teacher or school employee found to have committed an act of
harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyberbullying is subject to dismissal or suspension.
SECTION 5. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-5-501(7), is amended by adding
the following as a new subdivision:
(E) Committing an act of harassment, intimidation, bullying, or cyberbullying in
violation of the school district's policy adopted in accordance with chapter 6, part 45 of
this title;
SECTION 6. This act takes effect July 1, 2026, the public welfare requiring it, and
applies to acts committed on or after that date.