Morris County Prosecutor’s Office engage with students at Halsted Middle School in Newton
NEWTON, NJ (Sussex County) – Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri and Sergeant Patrick LaGuerre on June 13 discussed cyber bullying and bias crimes with the students at Halsted Middle School in Newton.
The MCPO routinely conducts presentations at schools throughout Morris County and the surrounding region to engage with area youth about exercising good judgement when it comes to how they interact with others online or in school.
SAP DeNegri and Sgt. LaGuerre stressed that students should be mindful of what they post and how they interact on social media, because how you conduct yourself online could potentially impact your future. Social media and technology today document everything, even photos and messages you assume were deleted or only temporary, including ones you believe to be private. This data can be accessed and potentially shared after being deleted, they said.
Furthermore, SAP DeNegri and Sgt. LaGuerre explained the difference between bias crimes and bias incidents, cautioning students that their school administrators can choose to take disciplinary action even if an incident isn’t considered criminal. Students were also given the chance to ask questions following the presentation.
“Supervising Assistant Prosecutor DeNegri and Sgt. LaGuerre continue to expand their reach outside of Morris County to discuss both the potential immediate and long term adverse impacts of bullying and bias behavior, and offer strategies to resist such behavior,” Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll said.
