U.S. Commission on Civil Rights to Hold Briefing on Federal Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws Protecting Students Against Bullying, Violence and Harassment

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights will hold a public briefing in connection with its 2011 statutory enforcement report, Federal Enforcement of Civil Rights Laws to Protect Students Against Bullying, Violence and Harassment, on Friday, May 13, 2011 at Commission headquarters, 624 9^th St., NW, Washington, DC, 20425.  The briefing will start at 9:00 am EDT and is expected to continue to 4:30 pm EDT.  The briefing is public, and no advance reservation is necessary unless special services are requested.* Topics will include:

• The scope and seriousness of student-on-student bullying, harassment and violence against students who are targeted due to their race/national origin, religion, disability, gender, and/or their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender expression;
• The content of applicable federal laws, the enforcement of those laws, and the effectiveness of the Departments of Education and Justice in carrying out their enforcement responsibilities;
• The range of effective intervention and prevention efforts and programs currently promoted by the federal government;
• Recommendations for enhanced enforcement practices, and/or the need for additional legislation, as appropriate, with respect to efforts by the Departments of Education and Justice

Speakers will include Russlyn Ali, ED; Thomas Perez, DOJ; Eliza Byard, GLSEN; Roger Clegg, CEO; John Eastman, Chapman Univ.; Fatima Goss Graves, National Women's Law Center; Gregory Herek, UC Davis; Ilan Meyer, Columbia; Hiram Sasser, Liberty Inst.; Stuart Buck, U. Arkansas; Paula Goldberg, PACER Center; Helen Gym, Asian Americans United; Kenneth Marcus, Inst. For Jewish &  Community Research; Hilary Shelton, NAACP; Rajdeep Singh, Sikh Coalition; Tammy Aaberg, parent advocate; Deborah Lauter, ADL; Francisco Negron, National School Boards Assoc.; Ken Trump, Natl. School Safety and Security Services; and Eugene Volokh, UCLA Law.

* Hearing-impaired persons who require the services of a sign language interpreter should contact Pamela Dunston at (202) 376-8105 or [email protected] at least three business days before the scheduled date of the briefing. Broadcast media should contact Lenore Ostrowsky at (202) 376-8591.

The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is an independent, bipartisan agency charged with monitoring federal civil rights enforcement.  Members include Chairman Martin Castro and Commissioners Roberta Achtenberg, Todd Gaziano, Gail Heriot, Peter Kirsanow, Abigail Thernstrom, Dina Titus and Michael Yaki.  Commission meetings and briefings are open to the general public.  The Commission's website is http://www.usccr.gov.

Contact:  Lenore Ostrowsky
Acting Chief, Public Affairs Unit
(202) 376-8591

SOURCE U.S. Commission on Civil Rights