Oklahoma Taskforce To Battle Bullies In Schools

Ashli Sims, News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY -- State lawmakers discussed doing their part to battle bullies Tuesday.

A taskforce of lawmakers, school leaders and students met to talk about passing a law in honor of Ty Fields. Fields is the 11-year-old boy from Perkins who killed himself last May, after being picked on by bullies.

Last year Oklahoma school districts reported nearly 11,000 cases of bullying, 260 of them caused physical injury. Fields' father wants to see the law get tough on bullies.

"Find a way that we can pass some legislation that will have some teeth, some spine, to stop this from happening to another baby, another family," said Kirk Smalley.

Lawmakers say students aren't the only ones bullied. Districts reported more than 1,400 cases of teachers or staff members being bullied also.