What is it?
Stop Hate In The Hallways is a one-day
conference to address bullying based on race, religion, and sexual
orientation and gender identity. Training will be provided for the
intervention and prevention of bullying and harassment in a variety
of break-out sessions. |
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Stop Hate in the Hallways, a
state-wide anti-bullying and harassment conference was hosted by
Cimarron Alliance Foundation on October 11, 2007. Three-hundred
and fifteen individuals attended the conference held at the
Spring-lake Metro Tech in Oklahoma City, OK, 350 were in
attendance including volunteers and financial supporters of the
event. Those in attendance came from over 22 communities
throughout the state of Oklahoma. There were employees of 14
public school systems, and three universities. Mental Health
Professionals made up a large block of those who attended.
Cimarron Alliance Foundation was supported by 53 partner
organizations including national, state and local non-profit
organizations and three government agencies to develop and
promote this conference. Kevin Jennings, Founder and Chief
Executive Officer for GLSEN in New York City, NY was the
featured key note speaker. Jennings, a former educator launched
GLSEN in response to a gay youth who was bullied and
contemplating suicide. GLSEN is an acclaimed national
organization in the area of research and consultation regarding
school safety, harassment and bullying.
The Board of Directors of Cimarron Alliance Foundation developed
this conference out of concern for all children and youth who
may be bullied or harassed in public institutions such as
schools. National data on bulling and harassment suggest that
bullies most often target children and youth who differ from the
mainstream population because of a religious, racial, gender,
sexual orientation or gender identity basis. Cimarron Alliance
Foundation, a non-profit who’s mission and expertise is in
providing education to support the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and
trans-gendered community collaborated with partner organizations
who had expertise in cultural diversity and religious diversity
to bring a well balanced conference to those in attendance.
The conference included three additional General Sessions and
four Break-out Sessions. State Representative Al McAffrey, Rey
Madrid, President of the League of United Latin American
Citizens and Tamya Cox of ACLU provided an overview of HB 1804
(legislation enacted November 1, 2007) which many Oklahomans
feel is a discriminatory billed aimed at individuals with ethnic
lineage from Mexico and Central America. A panel facilitated by
Rev. Scott Jones of Cathedral of Hope in Oklahoma City featured
a Catholic Priest, a Jewish Rabbi, a Baptist Minister, a
Unitarian Minister and a representative of a Muslim faith. This
panel provided insights into the role religion can and may play
in both cause and cure of bullying and discrimination in
society. The fourth General Session was provided by Michael
Camfield of ACLU and provided an over-view of the Equal Access
Act, an important tool for professionals working with schools to
use to help combat discrimination in school settings.
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Honorary Co-Chairs
Jim Roth, Oklahoma Corporation Commission
Senator Andrew Rice
Senator Connie Johnson
Representative Al McAffrey
Ann Simank, Oklahoma City Council
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Why does this
matter?
65% of
teens nationwide report that they have been harassed or
assaulted because of perceived or actual appearance, gender,
sexual orientation, gender expression, race/ethnicity,
disability, or religion.
About 1 out of 2
teens frequently or sometimes hear racist remarks (48%).
More than one-third
of Latino students hear racist remarks (35%).
About 1 out of 4 teens often or sometimes hear negative
religious remarks (26%).
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3 out of 4 students
hear homophobic remarks often or sometimes (75%). 28%
of teens are harassed often or very often because of their race.
8%
of teens are harassed often or very often because of their
religion.
1 in 3
teens report that students are harassed often or very often
because they are or are perceived to be lesbian, gay, or
bisexual.
LGBT students are
more than 3 times
as likely as non-LGBT students to say that they do not feel safe
at school. |
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Half of students have had
rumors or lies spread about them at school. 38%
of students had their property stolen or deliberately damaged.
68%
of Latino students have been harassed or assaulted in high
school.
90%
of LGBT students have been harassed or assaulted in high school.
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71%
of teachers believe that anti-harassment and anti-discrimination
policies would be helpful in securing a safe learning
environment for LGBT students. Only
48% of
students say their school has an anti-harassment policy that
specifies sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender
expression.
59%
of Latino students who have experienced harassment never report
such incidents.
67%
of LGBT students who have experienced harassment never report
such incidents. |
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Violence Prevention Professionals