Parents, students and advocates urge Judson ISD trustees to adopt stronger anti-bullying policy

Several parents, students and community partners used the board’s public-comment period to press the Judson ISD Board of Trustees to adopt a revised anti-bullying policy (local policy FFI) and to ensure the district provides tangible services and transparent procedures when incidents occur.

Shontina Harris, introduced to the board as a parent who lost her child, told trustees that her son’s death “was a result of many moments when opportunities existed and the failure to intervene, investigate, to protect, and support.” She urged the board to “adopt and strengthen Judson ISD policy FFI” and to build a culture that recognizes and consistently responds to bullying so that “another child can make it home.”

Laura Wickwire, secretary and community liaison for the ad hoc committee on conflict and bullying, described the committee’s months-long process and said a draft revision of policy FFI—prepared with legal assistance from IDRA—is ready for board discussion but may not be voted on tonight. Tianna Ryan of the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA) outlined community engagement steps the committee took, including focus groups, a virtual town hall and feedback integration with TASB legal review.

Parents asked for concrete follow-through: data collection and analysis to identify bullying patterns, ongoing and robust staff training, clear reporting routes for students and families, and district-funded counseling and therapeutic services for affected students. Ariamna Hernandez Perez, a parent of three children with disabilities, said she has paid "thousands of dollars" for services because she does not receive state benefits and asked the board for more transparency and community meetings focused on follow-up services.

Significance: Trustees and staff said they are preparing to bring detailed spend and implementation plans back to the board, and the superintendent’s team indicated the revised FFI language has been circulated among staff and legal reviewers. No final board action on policy FFI was taken at this meeting; the board directed staff to continue work with the implementing staff and legal counsel before returning the item to a future agenda.