Bullying and Harassment in Public Schools Focus of New York State Bar Association Conference

ALBANY, NY (10/17/2012)(readMedia)-- Teachers and school administrators from across the state will gather in Lake George this week to discuss how to protect public school students from bullying and other forms of abuse.

"A Focus on Dignity for All Students: Where We Came From & Where We Are Going"is the theme of the annual conference of the Law, Youth & Citizenship Program of the New York State Bar Association, which will be held Friday, October 19 at the Fort William Henry Conference Center. The 150-seat event is filled to capacity. Media coverage is welcome.

The day-long series of panel discussions will focus on a state law, The Dignity for All Students Act, which took effect July 1. The law seeks to provide students with an environment free of discrimination and harassment.

"No student should ever be afraid to go to school. A positive school environment and supportive culture will not just lead to better students, but better citizens," said Richard Bader, an attorney, educator and chair of the State Bar's Law, Youth & Citizenship Committee. "Fostering tolerance is critical to good citizenship and a functional democracy. We are thrilled to be able to bring so many people together to explore how to make our schools safer and students more accepting of others."

The keynote speaker on Friday will be Jay Worona, general counsel of the New York State School Boards Association.

Other discussions will include: "Cyberbullying and the News," "Hate Crime 101: The Continuum of Prejudicial Behavior," "Integrating Dignity Act Principles into the Overall School Climate" and "How Youth Courts Promote Tolerance." For more information about the conference, visit www.lycny.org.

The 77,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. It was founded in 1876.

-30-