A Monroeville family's efforts to educate teens and parents about dating violence got a boost Wednesday.
The Demi Brae Cuccia Law, named for a Gateway High School teen killed by her ex-boyfriend, is awaiting final approval by the state House of Representatives. It would mandate dating violence education for seventh- through 12th-graders.
The bill was advanced yesterday for a final vote.
The Cuccia family has spearheaded efforts to get the bill passed to raise awareness about teen dating violence. Cuccia's ex-boyfriend, John Mullarkey, stabbed her to death Aug. 15, 2007, the day after her 16th birthday. Mullarkey, now 21, is serving life in prison.
"It could potentially save the lives of some of these teenage girls," Demi's father, Gary, said at Tuesday's Monroeville council meeting. "Something needs to be done so these other kids don't go through what my daughter went through."
Seven states have laws that require school districts to teach students about teen dating violence, according to the 2009 National Conference of State Legislatures.
Conklin's bill would require the state Department of Education to partner with local domestic violence and rape crisis centers to develop a dating violence policy to help districts draft their own standards addressing dating violence. Districts also would be required to educate teachers and staff about the warning signs.
"We never knew this was possible, but now that I've educated myself, there were some signs that maybe somebody should have picked up on," Gary Cuccia said.
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