Anti-bullying Summit - Oct. 26th

Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch announces that his office, along with four organizations, is hosting an Anti-Bullying Summit at the University of Rhode Island’ s Feinstein Providence Campus, 80 Washington Street, on Tuesday, October 26th, from 8AM to 3 PM. Lynch’ s Office, along with Kaleidoscope Theatre, PAVE (Partnership to Address Violence through Education), Horizon Enterprises, and CABINS (Committee Against Bullying in Schools) comprise the Anti-Bullying Summit Planning Committee that is proposing measures the entire state can take to prevent, control and eradicate bullying, intolerance and violence in Rhode Island’ s communities and schools.

Representatives from the majority of Rhode Island’ s cities and towns will brainstorm, discuss and arrive at a consensus about bullying and violence issues, with a goal toward creating a resolution for a uniform statewide anti-bullying policy. It is requested that each city or town be represented at the Summit by a team consisting of a teacher, principal or superintendent, police officer, the mayor or a designee, a parent, student and school committee member.

Randy Ross, M.S., M.A. will be the event’ s keynote speaker. An Equity & Diversity Specialist at the New England Equity Assistance Center, she focuses her work on the areas of school climate (including bullying and harassment), gender equity, cultural proficiency and social-emotional learning, and supports school districts in the development and implementation of comprehensive policies and procedures aimed at reducing bullying and harassment in school communities. Ms. Ross formerly
worked for the New Jersey Attorney General, in the Office of Bias Crime and Community Relations, and also served as coordinator for New Jersey Cares About Bullying, a statewide, state-sponsored campaign.

Lynch, who has made bullying prevention a centerpiece of his administration and who has visited at least one school a week during the academic year over the close to eight years he has served as attorney general, said, “ Bullying is a particularly cruel and vicious form of abuse that does great damage to its victims, sometimes with disastrous results. Bullies are especially at-risk
of ending up in our criminal justice system, whether as juveniles, adults or both. This Summit is a viable vehicle for students and adults from around the state to take action on protecting our children and teens from bullies who, through their behavior, pose a real threat to the victims they target.”

For its production of High School B.U.L.L.Y., Lynch accorded special recognition to Kaleidoscope Theatre with a 2009 Justice Award. The play was co-written by David G. Payton, the Theatre’ s Executive Director, and Marianne Douglas, President of Horizon Enterprises who are also the Co-Chairs of the Anti-Bullying Summit Planning Committee.

The Summit is also acting in partnership with URI’ s Feinstein Providence Campus and the Third Eye YCW Project.

For questions or further information, please contact Moses Saygbe, Crime Prevention Specialist at the Department of Attorney General, 274-4400, X2469, or email info@Anti-BullyingSummit.com.