California lawmakers look to crack down on sexting at schools

SACRAMENTO -- Lawmakers in California are looking to crack down on sexting at school.

A bill is making its way through the state legislature to define some sexting as a form of cyberbullying. If passed, students can be suspended or expelled for sending lewd messages or pictures over the phone.

Lawmakers also want to add sexting to the school's Sex Ed curriculum.

Some lawmakers consider the bill a safety measure more than anything else.

"Many teens who consider sexting normal are not only at risk of facing serious legal consequences, but are also subject to acts of bullying or harassment when their intimate images are taken without their knowledge or disseminated without their consent," said Assemblymember Ed Chau, who authored the bill. "This presents a complex challenge to schools as they strive to provide safe environments for learning."

"Several students have committed suicide because their pictures have been disseminated to others and throughout the country we've heard stories like that," said Chau.

The bill passed the assembly committee on education Thursday and will go to an appropriations committee in the coming weeks.