Morris County Prosecutor’s Office brings anti-bias, bullying program to area high schools
MORRIS COUNTY, N.J. — The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has kicked off another year of its Anti-Bias and Bullying educational program, visiting local high schools to speak with students about responsible behavior, social media use and the consequences of threats.
Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri and Sgt. Patrick LaGuerre presented the program at Jefferson High School on Jan. 15 and Madison High School on Feb. 6. Over the past year, the program has reached public and private schools throughout Morris County and in neighboring Sussex, Union and Warren counties.
The assemblies are designed to inform students and create direct connections between law enforcement and young people, officials said.
During the presentations, DeNegri and LaGuerre urged students to be mindful of their actions on social media and in digital communications, noting that while not every post results in a criminal investigation, online content can remain accessible indefinitely.
“No like or comment is worth your future,” said SAP DeNegri. She explained taking or sharing explicit photos can lead to legal ramifications and may be viewed or shared beyond the intended recipient.
LaGuerre told students that while the First Amendment protects freedom of speech, it does not override school codes of conduct, particularly regarding how students treat one another.
Presenters also emphasized that Morris County maintains a zero-tolerance policy for threats of school violence. Authorities said there are consequences and corrective actions even when students claim comments were made as jokes or out of frustration.
Officials added that during criminal investigations, law enforcement can obtain a data warrant to access information from devices and applications, including material users believe has been deleted.
