VA-AAP member Dr. John Farrell‘s first foray into advocacy was an eyeopener: “I was naïve – If I went into it knowing what I know now, I would have doubted it could have been done!”
But done it is – Dr. Farrell and the family of Brody Watson, of Leesburg, were in attendance in Warrenton when Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed into law SB 1072, which had unanimously passed both the Virginia House of Delegates and Senate.
The new piece of legislation went into effect July 1st and requires school administrators or their designees to report incidents of bullying to parents within 24 hours of a reported incident, as reported by WUSA9 News. Before this law went into effect, the parental notification window varied by county, sometimes spanning as long as 14 days.
The bill was sponsored by State Senator John J. Bell (D-District 13) and Delegate Glenn Davis (R-District 84, now retired) on behalf of the Watson family, who tragically lost their son Brody in February of last year.
The bill was sponsored by State Senator John J. Bell (D-District 13) and Delegate Glenn Davis (R-District 84, now retired) on behalf of the Watson family, who tragically lost their son Brody in February of last year.
Dr. Farrell describes his former patient as a “good kid, big athlete, with a reputation for standing up for other kids” whenever they were bullied. However, when he became the target, Brody found it difficult to cope: Proud by nature and naturally resilient, he did not bring it up to his parents. It wasn’t until an incident where he was reduced to tears on a bus that administrators at Willard Middle School took notice. They intended to notify his parents, but the unthinkable happened first: A bright and vibrant young man was lost some 36 hours after the bus incident, leaving a family, community, and pediatrician in mourning and wondering, “what if?”
Dr. Farrell, who had provided care for Brody and his twin brother, felt it was his duty to “talk to the parents and be there for them.” During a visit to their home, Dr. Farrell discussed the situation with Brody’s parents, and their conversation turned to school policies. “Could they have reached out sooner? We get daily emails about lunches…Why couldn’t they notify the Watsons within a day about Brody’s incident?”
“Pediatricians have their fingers on the pulse of the community, they know what it needs.”
John Farrell, MD
Thus, the seeds for legislative advocacy came into being. With a commitment of support from the Watson family, Dr. Farrell took his idea to the AAP School Health Task Force, which happily took up the cause. Lobbyist Lauren Schmitt and VA-AAP’s Dr. Leah Rowland reached out to Sen. Bell and Del. Davis, helped draft the resolution, and the sponsoring legislators introduced the bills.
The Watsons and Dr. Farrell testified before the Education Committees for the House and Senate. Despite heart-breaking, tear-inducing testimony from Brody’s parents, the bill’s supporters feared pushback, particularly from already-overburdened school administrators. However, it didn’t take long for everyone to realize the bill’s expectations were reasonable and could make a difference in the lives of so many.
“We know many schools have already been doing this, but we hope this bill will bring attention to everyone on how important it is to address bullying very quickly, as each day can feel like a lifetime to a child,” Dr. Farrell says.
“I got the chills when it passed” unanimously, he relates. “Pediatricians have their fingers on the pulse of the community, they know what it needs,” he notes. “Ordinarily we see one patient at a time, but I’m hopeful that this bill will have an impact on hundreds and thousands of children right away and moving forward.”
Normally preferring to work in the background, Dr. Farrell’s eyes were opened by his fulfilling first foray into advocacy; he’s grateful for the assistance he received from VA-AAP and the entire School Health Task Force, especially from Lauren Schmitt; Leah Rowland, MD; and VA-AAP President Kris Powell, MD; as well as the sponsoring legislators, and he greatly admires the Watson family for their courage and determination.
Dr. Farrell is now partnering with Emily Gonzalez, PhD, HSP, a psychologist with UVA in creating an online resource for worried parents. He is hopeful that once it is live it will be well-received and make a positive difference.
Just like his first adventure as a physician advocate.
