A BILL FOR AN ACT to amend the Indiana Code concerning education.
HB1107 creates a new state bullying ombudsman within the Indiana Department of Education and requires the department to support that office and publish its contact information. The ombudsman would receive complaints from parents about unresolved bullying or student-on-student physical assault incidents, provide technical assistance and procedural guidance to schools and families, act as a neutral liaison, monitor complaint trends, and submit an annual report to the General Assembly with complaint data and policy recommendations.
The bill also requires most school corporations to establish a bullying oversight committee to review parent complaints when a school administration allegedly failed to investigate an incident or when the school’s response was inadequate. These committees would investigate complaints, review evidence, interview witnesses, issue findings and recommendations within 30 days, and follow up with the complaining parent on implementation and effectiveness. The bill further allows a parent to request a hearing before the school corporation’s governing body in certain circumstances, requires access to relevant video evidence for parents of the targeted student or alleged perpetrator, and prohibits retaliation against participants acting in good faith.
HB1107 would add two new chapters to the Indiana Code, creating a statewide bullying ombudsman program and a local bullying oversight process for school corporations. It would impose new duties on the Department of Education, including staffing support, website posting, and development of guidelines and model training materials, while also requiring school corporations to update discipline rules, bullying policies, and parent notices to include ombudsman contact information. School corporations would need to train committee members, investigate complaints through a structured process, and maintain records of committee and governing-body determinations. The bill would affect school administrators, employees serving on committees, parents of targeted students, parents of alleged perpetrators, and students involved in bullying or physical assault incidents.
The bill appears to be framed as a student-safety and accountability measure, with its structure suggesting support for stronger parent recourse and independent review of bullying complaints. Because there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided context, there is no direct evidence of formal support or opposition from legislators in the available materials. Based on the text alone, the bill’s tone is remedial and oversight-focused rather than punitive, emphasizing investigation, transparency, and follow-up.
The main points of potential contention are the added administrative burden on school corporations, the creation of a new state ombudsman office, and the requirement that schools form committees made up of employees who are not administrators. Schools may view the complaint-review process, deadlines, hearing rights, and video-evidence access as resource-intensive or as expanding parental access to sensitive student information. Another likely issue is the bill’s balance between transparency and privacy, since it requires reports to be shared with multiple parties while also directing compliance with applicable privacy laws. The prohibition on retaliation and the ability to seek governing-body review may also be seen as strengthening parent rights and oversight over school discipline decisions.