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What do I do if the school ignores my bullying report?

Use the free tool — Bullying Report Letter FL

You reported it. Nothing happened. Now what?

You told the school about the bullying. Maybe you called, maybe you emailed the teacher. Days or weeks passed and nothing changed. This is common, and there is a next step. Florida law gives you a process to follow — this page walks through it.

What Florida law actually requires

Under the Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act (Fla. Stat. 1006.147), every Florida school district must:

• have a written policy against bullying and harassment, including cyberbullying
• let you report an incident, including anonymously
• investigate the report
• notify the parents of the victim and the parents of the alleged perpetrator
• refer both students for counseling if needed
• log the incident in the state's SESIR system

The statute does not set one statewide number of days for the investigation. Your district's own policy sets that timeline — ask the school, in writing, for a copy of the policy and the SESIR incident number for your report. You can find the state's model policy at the Florida Department of Education — Bullying prevention page.

Escalate, step by step

If your first report — verbal or written — didn't get a response, move up the chain, in writing, at each step:

• Principal — the policy usually names the principal or a designee as the person who receives reports. Send it by email and keep a dated paper copy too.
• District student-services office or area superintendent — copy this office on your report from the start; if the principal doesn't act, send your escalation directly here.
• The school board — you can raise it in public comment or contact the superintendent's office directly.
• Florida Department of Education, Office of Safe Schools — the state-level office over bullying policy enforcement.

Keep every email, every date, every reply — or non-reply. Ask for things in writing at each step: the SESIR number, the written outcome of the investigation, and a safety plan (separation in classes, at lunch, on the bus, and supervision at the specific locations where it happened).

When it's a civil-rights issue

If the bullying is based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or religion, you have another option: the federal U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights. It accepts complaints, and its process has a 180-day deadline from the incident. This is separate from — and in addition to — the district process above.

If there's a safety risk right now

Some situations can't wait for the escalation ladder:

• If your child talks about hurting themselves, call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) today, and tell the school counselor and your pediatrician right away.
• If there's a credible threat of violence, call the school and the police immediately.
• For cyberbullying, save screenshots with dates and URLs, and report the content to the platform. Florida's cyberstalking statute (784.048) may be relevant for threats — mention it to the school resource officer, not to the other family.

The Hope Scholarship option

Under Fla. Stat. 1002.40, a student who reports being bullied or harassed at a public school may be eligible to transfer to another public school, or to receive a scholarship to attend a private school. The school is supposed to notify you of this option when an incident is reported. This is one option among several, not a recommendation — some families want their child to stay and get the situation fixed; others don't.

What to do next

The free tool on this page reads what you describe — the incidents, dates, what you've already told the school — and turns it into a written report organized the way the district's policy needs it, with who to send it to and what to ask for. It also lays out the escalation letters if the first report goes nowhere. Nothing you type is stored, and no account is needed.

This tool is not a lawyer and can be wrong. Your district's own policy controls the actual procedure — ask for it in writing. If your child is in danger or talks about self-harm, contact the school, the police, or 988 today.

Bullying Report Letter FL explains Florida's anti-bullying law and district procedures in plain language; it can be wrong, and it is not legal advice. District policies differ. For a civil-rights or safety matter, contact an attorney, the Office for Civil Rights, or law enforcement. Nothing you paste is stored.