Florida's school bullying laws: What are they and when can a bully be punished?

By Samantha Serbin

On social media alone, close to a million people saw WEAR News' story about a 13-year-old Okaloosa County girl who died by suicide after bullying.

The teenager kept the struggle a secret from her family, who chose to share her story as part of an effort to impart change.

Since the story aired, hundreds have commented asking: Why aren't the bullies being punished? WEAR News explored what is and isn't covered in Florida's laws.

The "Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act" was passed in 2008. It mandates schools have definitions, policies and consequences in place for bullying. But it doesn't outline what those policies and consequences should be.

13-year-old Payton Raulerson died by suicide in December 2024.

Despite repeated check-ins by her parents, the middle school student brushed off the bullying that was happening to her. Her family found out after her death that kids went so far as telling her to kill herself because she was gay.

Cyberbullying can rise to the level of a crime in Florida, but it's rare.

While Payton's parents figure out what accountability looks like for them, they told WEAR News about their hopes for change moving forward.

"I think the biggest hope is something you won’t see," dad Eric Raulerson said. "And that comes down to, you have 10-year-olds saying things a 10-year-old wouldn’t say, so you know it’s coming from their parents. You’re not going to change that. People are already ignorant."

"I think there’s a lack of understanding," mom Melissa Raulerson said. "And I think there’s a lack of action to what can we do and people aren’t talking about it."

Payton's family hopes sharing her story will start a deeper conversation about bullying and the damage it does.

Right now, Okaloosa County deputies have an ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding the teen's death.

In Texas, legislators enacted David's Law in 2017 that makes cyberbullying a misdemeanor. It allows parents of cyberbullies to be held responsible if they could have intervened, but chose not to.