One of President Obama's Justice Department top priorities is identifying and prosecuting mean children who make fun of their classmates and call them names.
-- From "New Effort to Stop Cycle of School Bullying" posted at NBC-TV Washington 1/4/11
"I need your help," said Assistant Attorney General Tom Perez. "Every student has the right to go to school without facing threats, intimidation or harrassment."
Perez is with the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice. He joined students at James Hubert Blake High School in Silver Spring, Md., Tuesday to talk about bullying and harrassment in schools and what the department is doing to protect the civil rights of all students
If you or a student you know is being harassed or discriminated against, the Department of Justice's Educational Opportunities Section wants to know about it. Call 877-292-3804.
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From "Bullied at School for Being Gay? The U.S. Justice Department 'Won't Stand for It,' High School Students Told" by Susan Jones, CNSNews.com 1/5/11
The U.S. Justice Department went into a public high school on Tuesday with a message for students: If you’re “different,” if you’re gay, and if you’re being bullied – don’t feel alone, don’t be ashamed, and don’t hesitate to call on the federal government for help if your school doesn’t stop the bullying.
As part of the event – sponsored by the school’s administration and its gay-straight alliance – Perez played a videotape in which mostly gay and lesbian Civil Rights Division employees (and one who identified herself as intersex) shared their stories of being bullied at school.
Following the assistant attorney general’s remarks and the video presentation, students at Blake High School were invited to sign the “It Gets Better” Pledge, which reads as follows: “Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. I pledge to spread this message to my friends, family and neighbors. I'll speak up against hate and intolerance whenever I see it, at school and at work. I'll provide hope for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and other bullied teens by letting them know that ‘It Gets Better.’"
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