TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. — The Erie County District Attorney is heading back to school. This time to talk about cyberbullying.
DA John Flynn joined school officials at Kenmore East High School to talk to students about the serious consequences of cyberbullying, including potential criminal charges that can result from using social media to bully a fellow classmate.
The district attorney's office says they've seen an increase in young people involved in criminal justice system and Flynn is looking for innovative ways to prevent crime and take a proactive approach with school to educate youth about the dangers of engaging in criminal activities.
“I am committing to keeping the schools in Erie County safe. My office is always seeking new ways to engage with people in our community, especially young people. I believe that our children are our future, so we need to get a message to them at an early age to think twice before posting because there are real consequences to what you put out on social media. I want to thank the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District for partnering with my office on this initiative. I hope that we can continue to share this message with other schools in Erie County and prevent further incidents from occurring in the future,” said Erie County District Attorney John Flynn.
The program focuses on preventing cyberbullying, school threats and the misuse of social media.
“This is an unprecedented time and we must have our eyes wide open to the challenges that our young people will continue to face. Through initiatives like this, and deep partnerships, I am confident that we will remain proactive in addressing our students’ needs,” said Kenmore Town of Tonawanda Schools Superintendent Sabatino Cimato of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District.
Any school district in Erie County can request a student presentation. Visit the Community Relations page on the Erie County District Attorney’s Office website for more information: https://www2.erie.gov/da/community-relations-public-information.