"The Safe
Schools Project
provides a smart and sensitive approach to help teachers and
administrators create a school climate that accepts and promotes
diversity. Comments from
our staff members regarding The Safe School Project
were overwhelmingly positive. ‘This is information we can use……bring
these people back.’ I would highly recommend this program for any
school wishing to create schools that are free from bullying and
harassment.”
Brad Faust, Principal, Whitmer High School,
Toledo.
Our
Mission
The Safe School Project
strives, through education and advocacy, to create a culture of
safety that will make Ohio schools free from harassment, bullying
and other forms of violence against any student or group of
students. The Project aims to protect all students, including
racial and religious minorities, gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender students, students with disabilities, and students who
are targeted because of their appearance or expression, from
violence and harassment.
Implementation
Steps
1.
Establish “Safe
School” training events and programs at area high schools.
2.
Assist students and
faculty in forming Gay-Straight Alliances, which significantly
improve the learning environment for all students.
3.
Implement
“Safe Space” programs, identifying supportive teachers, guidance
counselors, coaches, staff, and school administrators who are
willing and able to provide safe spaces for vulnerable students.
4.
Offer mediation
services through the University of Toledo College of Law for
disputes involving harassment, discrimination or bullying in area
schools.
5.
Develop educational
programming about Safe Schools for the
community.
Our
History
Through the diligent efforts of legal interns
and the leadership of Attorney Rob Salem at the University of Toledo
College of Law Legal Clinic, Toledo Public Schools instituted a
non-discrimination policy to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and
transgender students from bullying, harassment, and discrimination.
In spite of non-discrimination policies, LGBT
youth and youth perceived to be LGBT continue to be routinely
harassed and physically assaulted, and suffer property damage;
school employees fear the loss of their employment and lack domestic
partner benefits.
The Project founders
investigated the issue of bullying based not only on LGBT status,
but other real or perceived traits. The Project then initiated a
program to address the serious problem of bullying and other forms
of violence in our schools and to employ innovative methods to
promote awareness and prevention of bullying.
The Northwest Ohio/Southeast Michigan
Safe Schools Project
All students
deserve a school environment that is free from bullying and
harassment. The Safe Schools Project provides a
practical approach for helping teachers and administrators create an
atmosphere where all students feel safe and protected.
The Safe
Schools Project is
unique in the field of anti-bullying and harassment trainings. Using extant research data and
curriculum materials produced by national and legal organizations,
University of Toledo professor, Dr. Susan Telljohann, Attorney
Robert Salem and interns at the University of Toledo College of Law
Legal Clinic have created a dynamic and interactive presentation
that educates staff, faculty, and administrators to the truth about
what constitutes bullying and harassment, its prevalence and
destructive consequences to the victims’ and bullies’ academic,
social and personal success. The 60-minute presentation also
provides practical advice on how to stop bullying and harassment of
students based on body image, race, socio-economic background,
gender, and sexual orientation.
Key
Components of the Presentation:
- Presentation facilitated by a professional educator and master
teacher.
- Cutting
edge legal information presented by legal experts.
- Tips on
how to intervene in bullying/harassment situations
- Personal
testimonies from students who were bullied in high school
- Information about local support groups and resources for gay and
lesbian students.
The Safe
Schools Project
provides interactive discussions about the law and how it is applied
to bullying and harassment of children in an educational
environment, along with scenarios that help the individual
participant practice effective responses to a variety of verbal,
relational and cyber bullying. An emphasis is placed on cases and
scenarios that are not commonly addressed in anti-bullying and
harassment programs, helping educators better cope with more
difficult situations.
ENDORSEMENTS
Organizations:
ACLU
of Ohio
Interfaith
Justice and Peace Center
ACLU – Northwest
Ohio Chapter
Toledo Area Jobs
with Justice Coalition
Toledo Area
Ministries
Academic:
University of
Toledo Commission on Diversity
University of Toledo Judith Herb College of Education, Center for
Nonviolence and Democratic Education
Civic
Organizations:
Board of County Commissioners, Lucas County,
Ohio
Toledo Board of Community Relations
Individuals:
State Senator Teresa Fedor
State Representative Peter Ujvagi
State Representative Edna Brown
State Representative Matt Szollosi, Esq.
Toledo School Board Member Steve
Steel
Lucas County School Board Member Karen Krause
Toledo City Councilman Joseph
McNamara, Esq.
Toledo City Councilman Frank
Szollosi, Esq.
Cindy
Voller, Esq.
Kurt Young, Esq.
Businesses:
Owens Corning,
Inc.
