STOP HATE IN THE HALLWAYS

The ACLU of Oklahoma, in conjunction with the Cimarron Alliance Foundation, co-sponsored “Stop Hate in the Hallways,” a one-day conference on October 11, 2007 to address bullying based on race, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity. The event, which was held at Metro Tech in Oklahoma City, provided training for preventing and intervening in bullying and harassment through a variety of individual presentations and panel discussions.

The conference included four general sessions. The morning session was conducted by Kevin Jennings, an author and educator who works to make schools safer for students with regard to sexual orientation and gender identity. Jennings was the advisor to the nation’s first Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), founded in 1988 at Concord Academy in Massachusetts.  As more and more educators and students began to contact him for help, he saw a need that wasn’t being met and in 1990 founded the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN). In 1994, he left teaching to work on building the all-volunteer GLSEN organization into a national force.  Under his leadership, GLSEN made safe schools into a national issue.

The second general session was hosted by State Representative Al McAffrey and focused on race. McAffrey and a panel of guests specifically addressed issues affecting Hispanic students due to the passage of House Bill 1804, the Oklahoma Taxpayers and Citizens Protection Act. McAffrey explained how the bill moved through the legislature and the steps he took to oppose it.  ACLU of Oklahoma Legal Director C.S. Thornton and Program Coordinator Tamya Cox discussed the legal ramifications of the new statute, and members of the community talked about the impact of the bill and how it affects youth.

The third general session addressed religious tolerance and was conducted by a panel of clergy. They discussed the sensitive nature of religion in schools and best practices for handling religious issues.

The fourth general session was presented by ACLU of Oklahoma Development Director Michael Camfield.  He conducted a workshop for attendees about the formation of Gay-Straight Alliances in public schools.

In addition to the general sessions, there were smaller breakout sessions focusing on the practical application of the concepts presented at the rest of the conference.  “Stop Hate in the Hallways” was geared toward violence prevention professionals, school administrators, classroom educators, mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, school psychologists, school superintendents, governmental policy makers, school police officers, social workers, attorneys, school board members and the general public.