Schools
No Anti-Bullying Speaker At LTHS In Long Time
An official suggested bringing in a "powerful" speaker for all-school assemblies.
LA GRANGE, IL – It's been a long time since Lyons Township High School held all-school assemblies on bullying.
The last ones were in 2011, officials said this week.
At a school board meeting, member Michael Thomas asked whether the school has ever had a nationally known anti-bullying speaker at an all-school assembly. Officials noted the 2011 events.
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As it happens, the school has held no all-school assemblies on public issues in nearly four years. In January 2019, the school held assemblies at North and South campuses on the dangers of vaping. Videos of the events remain on YouTube.
Thomas suggested the school consider bringing in an anti-bullying speaker.
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"Maybe it could be of some value if we could look at some kind of a national speaker who is a powerful speaker," Thomas said.
School board President Kari Dillon added, "If (the speaker) has an opportunity to go into the community, that's even better."
Jennifer Rowe, director of equity and belonging, said last year the school provided 20 students with training from the Anti-Defamation League about combatting hatred. It's part of the school's efforts to be designated as a "No Place For Hate" school, she said.
She also said the school planned to have a UCLA professor, Tyrone Howard, speak about issues of hatred on Oct. 12. Students and residents are invited.
Howard spoke at the school last year about eliminating hate and hate language.
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