Senior Sam Harman discussed bullying in schools as part of a panel at a symposium Feb. 4 sponsored by the Montgomery County Office of Human Rights and Committee on Hate/Violence. Many community members attended the discussion, which took place at the Silver Spring Civic Building.

Martin Castro, chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, introduced the topic of bullying with his keynote speech to open the seminar. Then, Montgomery County Council member Valerie Ervin moderated a panel discussion to examine bullying on a deeper level. Panel members included representatives from MCPS, the National Association of School Psychologists and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, as well as senior Sam Harman and Walter Johnson HS senior Ilana Kapit, both active members of their schools’ Gay-Straight Alliances.

The Symposium covered a variety of prevalent bullying issues, such as bully prevention and rehabilitation, victim care, underlying causes of bullying and the impacts of bullying on the community.

“When bullying is so pervasive in schools that it denies students their right to access good education, then the federal government will get involved,” Castro said in his speech.

After the discussion, panel members answered questions from the audience.

Harman said he was glad to see so many people determined to end school bullying.

“Bullying is a problem everywhere, and Whitman is no exception,” he said. “Anytime you use derogatory terms, even if it’s in a kidding-manner, you’re bullying an entire community. Everyone is a human being, and just because you’re white or straight or insecure or not-disabled doesn’t give you the right to put others down.”