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March 17, 2017Ed Walz, 202-374-8872

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KIDS CHALLENGE CONGRESS TO REJECT BULLYING IN POLITICS

Washington, D.C. – Hundreds of children and parents today participated in the Capitol Hill release of a pledge challenging members of Congress to refrain from bullying and to hold other politicians accountable for bullying behaviors. DC Bully Busters, a grassroots group launched and run by 11- and 12-year-old girls from Seattle, Washington, after November’s elections, launched acampaign to get every politician seeking national elected office to sign the anti-bullying pledge.

“If 12-year-old girls can be brave and stand up to bullies, we should expect the same from the adults who lead our country,” said Lilah, a 12-year-old Washington State girl who spoke at the Capitol Hill event.

Students held dozens of meetings this week with members of Congress and their staffs to personally ask that they sign the pledge.The girls’ goal is to have 100 signed pledges from legislators by the end of this school year.Congresswoman PramilaJayapal (D-WA-7) and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (D-WA-1) were among the first to sign the pledge, andthey co-hosted and spoke at the event.

At the event, DC Bully Busters announced the creation of a teacher letter writing toolkit. The goal for this toolkit to enable kids in every school district next year to connect their civic engagement with anti-bullying actions.

The organization also announced its first school partnership outside Washington State, with DC Prep, a Washington, D.C. public charter school.

“Character counts at DC Prep – we treat our students, their families, and each other with honesty, kindness, and respect,” said Matthew Carothers, Student Support Coordinator at DC Prep’s Edgewood Middle Campus. “Character should count in Congress, too.”

The U.S. Department of Education reports that about one-fifth of students were victims of bullying in 2013. ANovember Southern Poverty Law Center survey of more than 10,000 teachers found 90 percent concerned that school climate had worsened since Election Day. Teachers responding to that survey cited derogatory language directed at students of color, Muslims, immigrants, and people based on their gender or sexual orientation, as well as property damage and violence.

“Politicians have been behaving like bullies or acting as bystanders – they clearly need anti-bullying training,” said Eliza Amon, mother of a DC Bully Busters organizer. “And who better to help than kids?”

The effort has already generated more than 1,000 letters urging members of Congress to reject bullying in national politics. Participating students have scheduled or completed meetings withmore than 30 members of Congress or their staffs, including:

  • House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12)
  • Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn (R-TX)
  • House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD-5)
  • Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee
  • Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), a member of the HELP Committee
  • Sen.Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the HELP Committee
  • Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), a member of the HELP Committee
  • Sen.Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
  • Rep. John Lewis (D-GA-5)
  • Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8)
  • Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-1), a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee
  • Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC-12), a member of the Education and the Workforce Committee

“It’s not about one party or another,” said Claire, a 12-year-old Washington State girl who spoke at the event. “It’s about standing up for what’s right and never giving up – it’s about leadership.”

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DC Bully Busters is a movement started, owned and operated by a group of sixth-grade school girls in Seattle, Washington. The goal of this movement is to stop the bullying in Washington DC politics by teaching politicians what middle schoolers know about bullying. Learn more: dcbullybusters.com.

DC Prep is the #1-performing network of public charter schools in the nation's capital for five years running. Founded in 2003, DC Prep is bridging the educational divide in Washington by increasing the number of students from underserved communities with the academic preparation and personal character to succeed in competitive high schools and colleges. DC Prep currently serves over 1,700 students in preschool - 8th grade on five campuses in Wards 5, 7, and 8. In time, DC Prep will grow to ten campuses ultimately enrolling 3,500 students in Washington’s most under-resourced communities. Network-wide, DC Prep serves a student population that is 80% low-income (as measured by eligibility for free- and reduced-price meals), 40% at-risk, 90% African-American, 5% Hispanic, and 5% other/mixed.

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