A plain-English guide to Louisiana’s bullying and cyberbullying law, written for school counselors and other school staff. Start with the summary, then open any section below for the legal details.
Bottom line for counselors: Louisiana requires every school district to have a written bullying policy. The law covers cyberbullying, including off-campus behavior that affects school. Follow your district's reporting and investigation steps and keep careful notes.
Louisiana's bullying law includes 13 of 14 key elements, which Lantern rates comprehensive. Cyberbullying can also be a crime under Louisiana law. State law lets schools discipline students for cyberbullying. School phones: statewide ban (Senate Bill 207, May 28, 2024). Louisiana also has 7 online-safety laws for minors, including Contracts with Minors, LA. Statutes Annotated Sections 9:2717.2.
Sources last checked: StopBullying.gov summary reviewed April 29, 2026 · school phone rules checked November 11, 2026 · online-safety tracker updated October 10, 2026.
Lantern · State profile
Comprehensive state protections · 13 of 14 key elements
- Covers cyberbullying Yes
- Reaches off-campus behavior Yes
- District policy required Yes
- Reporting & investigation rules Yes
- Staff training Yes
- Support for students involved Yes
- School phone rules Statewide phone restriction
- Online safety laws for minors 7 on the books
What this means for counselors
- Your district is required to have a written bullying policy. Find it, and learn who in your building receives reports.
- State law sets expectations for reporting and investigating bullying. Follow your district's steps and timelines, and keep careful notes.
- Cyberbullying that happens off campus can be addressed when it affects school. Record how the online behavior reached or disrupted school.
- The law calls for support for students who are involved. That is core counseling work, for the student targeted and for the student who bullied.
- Staff training is part of state law. Ask when training happens and make sure it covers cyberbullying and social media.
- Prevention education is expected. Classroom lessons on digital citizenship and online empathy fit here.
- Your state limits student phone use at school. Know your school's phone rules so responses to online incidents are consistent.
- Your state has laws on minors' online safety. They mostly regulate tech companies, but they are useful context when you talk with families.
What Louisiana’s bullying law includes
- Bans bullying outright: included
The law clearly states that bullying is not allowed. - Defines bullying: included
The law spells out what counts as bullying. - Says where the rules apply: included
The law describes where the rules apply, such as school grounds, buses, events, or online. - Names protected groups: not included
The law lists characteristics, such as race or disability, that bullying often targets. - Districts must have a policy: included
Every school district has to adopt a written bullying policy. - Reporting and investigation rules: included
The law sets out how bullying is reported and investigated. - Consequences for bullying: included
The law describes consequences for students who bully. - Policy shared with families: included
Districts have to tell students, staff, and families about the policy. - Support for students involved: included
The law calls for protection or support, such as counseling, for students who are involved. - Policies reviewed and updated: included
District policies have to be reviewed and kept up to date. - Prevention education: included
The law requires or encourages bullying prevention lessons or programs. - Staff training: included
The law requires or encourages training for teachers and other staff. - Parent involvement: included
The law involves parents in preventing or responding to bullying.
Questions and answers about the law
How are bullying and cyberbullying defined in Louisiana anti-bullying laws and regulations?
Louisiana anti-bullying laws include the following definitions of bullying and cyberbullying:
"Bullying" means:
(1) A pattern of any one or more of the following:
(a) Gestures, including but not limited to obscene gestures and making faces.
(b) Written, electronic, or verbal communications, including but not limited to calling names, threatening harm, taunting, malicious teasing, or spreading untrue rumors. Electronic communication includes but is not limited to a communication or image transmitted by email, instant message, text message, blog, or social networking website through the use of a telephone, mobile phone, pager, computer, or other electronic device.
(c) Physical acts, including but not limited to hitting, kicking, pushing, tripping, choking, damaging personal property, or unauthorized use of personal property.
(d) Repeatedly and purposefully shunning or excluding from activities.
(2)
(a) Where the pattern of behavior as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection is exhibited toward a student, more than once, by another student or group of students and occurs, or is received by, a student while on school property, at a school-sponsored or school-related function or activity, in any school bus or van, at any designated school bus stop, in any other school or private vehicle used to transport students to and from schools, or any school-sponsored activity or event.
(b) The pattern of behavior as provided in Paragraph (1) of this Subsection must have the effect of physically harming a student, placing the student in reasonable fear of physical harm, damaging a student's property, placing the student in reasonable fear of damage to the student's property, or must be sufficiently severe, persistent, and pervasive enough to either create an intimidating or threatening educational environment, have the effect of substantially interfering with a student's performance in school, or have the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.
"Cyberbullying" is the transmission of any electronic textual, visual, written, or oral communication with the malicious and willful intent to coerce, abuse, torment, or intimidate a person under the age of eighteen.
La. R.S. § 17:416.13 (2017)
Do Louisiana anti-bullying laws and regulations cover cyberbullying that occurs off-campus?
Yes. Louisiana anti-bullying laws cover off-campus conduct by imposing criminal sanctions for cyberbullying.
What are the policy requirements for schools to prevent and respond to bullying behavior?
Louisiana schools must adopt and incorporate into the code of conduct a policy prohibiting bullying of a student by another student. School district policies must contain key policy and procedural elements, including, but not limited to:
- Definitions of bullying that conform to definitions in state law;
- Statements prohibiting the bullying of a student by another student;
- Discipline and criminal consequences for violation of the policy;
- Procedures for reporting and investigations, including provisions concerning the scope and timing of investigations, an appeals process, parental notification requirements and parental relief provisions, and requirements for written documentation; and
- Requirements for how the policy will be publicized within the school.
Louisiana state law requires districts to report all documented incidences of bullying to the state Department of Education.
Do Louisiana anti-bullying laws and regulations include protections for specific groups?
No. There are no specific groups listed under Louisiana anti-bullying laws or regulations.
Louisiana schools that receive federal funding are required by federal law to address discrimination on a number of different personal characteristics. Find out when bullying may be a civil rights violation.
Do Louisiana anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or require districts to implement bullying prevention programs or strategies?
Yes. Louisiana anti-bullying laws encourage districts to provide youth development and assistance programs that may consist of prevention programs including bullying prevention.
Do Louisiana anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or require districts to train teachers and other school staff on how to prevent and respond to bullying incidents?
Yes. Louisiana anti-bullying laws require districts to provide a minimum of four hours of training for new employees who have contact with students and two hours of training each year for all school employees who have contact with students, including bus operators.
Do Louisiana anti-bullying laws and regulations encourage or require districts to provide safeguards or mental health supports for students involved with bullying?
Yes. Louisiana school district policies require districts to notify the parent or legal guardians of the victim of available counseling options.
Do Louisiana anti-bullying laws and regulations involve parents in efforts to address bullying behavior?
Yes. Louisiana school district policies must include provisions for parent notification, including guidelines for holding meetings with the parents or legal guardians of the victim and the parents or legal guardians of the alleged perpetrator, as well as requirements for notifying parents of the potential consequences, penalties, and counseling options. Louisiana school district policies must also include a provision for parental relief that allows the parent to enroll the student in another school if reports of bullying are not appropriately investigated.
Answers from StopBullying.gov, last reviewed April 29, 2026.
School phone and device rules
Statewide ban. Most recent statewide action: Senate Bill 207, May 28, 2024.
Source: Ballotpedia, checked November 11, 2026.
Online safety and social media laws for minors
These laws mostly place duties on apps, platforms, and websites, such as age checks, parental consent, or limits on addictive feeds. Several have been challenged in court.
- Contracts with Minors, LA. Statutes Annotated Sections 9:2717.2
In effect: May 8, 2024 - Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation Act, Louisiana Statutes Annotated Sections 51: 1751–1759
In effect: July 1, 2025 *Enforcement permanently enjoined by District Court order December 15, 2025. · Status: permanently blocked - Protection of Children’s Internet Data, HB577, Louisiana Statutes Annotated Sections 51:1761 – 1763
In effect: July 1, 2025 - Kids Online Protection and Anti-Grooming Act, H.B. 37, Act. 2025 No. 236, as amended by H.B. 427, 2026 Act No. 522 R.S. Section 9:2717.4
In effect: June 1, 2026 January 1, 2027 - Louisiana Data Privacy Act (LDPA), SB 386, Revised Statutes 51:1780.1 – 1780.5
In effect: January 1, 2027 - HB 142, Act 440, Louisiana Statutes Annotated Section 9:2800.28 Louisiana Statutes Annotated Section 9:2800.29
In effect: January 1, 2023 - House Bill 77, Louisiana Statutes Annotated Section 51:2121
In effect: August 1, 2023
Source: Orrick Online Safety Law Tracker, updated October 10, 2026.
Legal citations, explained (15)
Each entry shows what the law or rule is about first, then its official name with abbreviations spelled out.
- Cyberbullying Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 14:40.7 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 14:40.7
- School board members; training required Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:53 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:53
- Policies; governing authorities of public elementary and secondary schools; Internet and online sites; access by students and employees; resources for parents; exceptions Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:100.7 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:100.7
- Hazing; public elementary and secondary students; intent and findings; definitions; policies Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:183 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:183
- Internet and cell phone safety education; required instruction Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:280 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:280
- School records; duty to keep records by school principal Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:415 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:415
- Discipline of students; suspension; expulsion Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:416 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:416
- Student code of conduct; requirement; bullying; prohibition; notice; reporting: accountability Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:416.13 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:416.13
- Youth development and assistance programs; legislative findings and purpose; school authority for programs for elementary students Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17.416.17 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17.416.17
- Student conduct standards; awareness and understanding by students; required orientation; guidelines Law passed by the legislature Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:416.20 Read the text of Louisiana Revised Statutes Annotated Section 17:416.20
- Grounds Law passed by the legislature Children's Code Article 730(11) Read the text of Children's Code Article 730(11)
- General powers of local educational governing authorities Rule from a state agency Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV.303 Read the text of Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV.303
- Written policies and procedures Rule from a state agency Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV.337 Read the text of Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV.337
- 1302. Student code of conduct Rule from a state agency Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV Read the text of Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV
- Bullying Rule from a state agency Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV.1303 Read the text of Louisiana Administrative Code Title 28:CXV.1303
Official Louisiana resources
Educational information, not legal advice. Laws change, so confirm with your district and state education department.
Find a school district in Louisiana
Search by ZIP code, select a district on the map, or look one up by name. Each district links to a search for its own bullying policy, since district rules can go further than state law.
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