‘Let Jason’s Story Not Be in Vain’: The Growing Push To Toughen Mass. Anti-Bullying Law

A new report by Professor Elizabeth Bloom’s LSSC students puts hard data behind what many Massachusetts families already know: school districts are routinely failing to investigate bullying complaints — and the burden falls hardest on students of color and children with disabilities. The findings come alongside a GBH News investigation into the death of Jason Bernard, a 14-year-old Peabody student who repeatedly sought help from school staff before dying by suicide in 2025. His school had already been cited by the state for violating anti-bullying law.