Wisconsin city considering ordinance to fine parents of children who bully

A city in Wisconsin is considering passing an ordinance that would fine parents of children who bully.

The Wisconsin Rapids legislative committee voted unanimously Monday to move the anti-bullying ordinance to be considered by the full city council next week, according to the Associated Press.

If passed, the ordinance would prohibit bullying, harassment and retaliation against anyone who reports such incidents and hold parents or legal guardians responsible for bullying behavior of children under 18 years old.

{mosads}Penalties for a first offense would be $50 with total costs adding up to $313 in some cases, though parents would first receive a warning before being fined.

The move comes after a local middle school student received handwritten notes from fellow students telling her to kill herself. A social media post showing the notes subsequently went viral.

“Preventing bullying needs to be a partnership between the schools and parents and the police department,” Wisconsin Rapids Police Chief Ermin Blevins told the news outlet. “If we don’t work together, we won’t be able to solve bullying.”