Family of girl who killed herself as a result of bullying tells lawmakers to do more

DENVER -- (KDVR) -- The death of 10-year-old Ashawnty Davis captivated the hearts of people in Colorado and around the nation last year.

Davis killed herself after reportedly being bullied. A video of her being bullied was posted online.

“My niece is dead. My niece will never come back,” Dedrick Harris, the uncle of Davis, said during a General Assembly hearing Wednesday.

“How many more lives got to be lost?”

Harris was lobbying on behalf of a bill to allow the Colorado Department of Education to research bully prevention strategies around the country.

The research then would be used to create a model suicide prevention policy that school districts could chose to use.

Currently, according to bill sponsor State Sen. Rhonda Fields, Colorado is one of eight states that does not have a statewide model policy; electing to allow local school districts to pick their bully prevention program.

The Senate Education Committee advanced the measure Wednesday with only one lawmaker objecting.

State Sen. Tim Neville, a Republican from Littleton, expressed concern it might create a “one size fits all” policy toward bully prevention — suggesting local school districts are better suited than the state.