UT Arlington to partner with White House for LGBT conference  on Safe Schools and Communities

The March 20 conference will feature keynote remarks from Attorney General Eric Holder.

The White House has announced that it will partner with The University of Texas at Arlington for a March 20 LGBT Conference on Safe Schools and Communities, an event that will feature remarks from Attorney General Eric H. Holder, Jr. and Valerie B. Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama.

The conference is co-hosted by the White House Office of Public Engagement and the U.S. Department of Justice in partnership with the UT Arlington Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, a division of the College of Liberal Arts, and the UT Arlington College of Education and Health Professions. Participants will receive important updates from senior administration officials from the Departments of Justice and Education and learn about Federal government resources and opportunities through workshop sessions.

The conference is one of a series of events the White House is coordinating this year to raise awareness of issues of interest to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

“UT Arlington is pleased to be a partner in presenting this important conference focused on what educators, law enforcement officials and others can do to curb bullying, harassment, and violence in our schools, neighborhoods, and communities,” said James D. Spaniolo, UT Arlington president. “These issues relate to critical research and academic studies under way within our University, and we look forward to the awareness this event will help foster.”

Last November, UT Arlington served as the venue for the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Conference, which focused on the landmark 2009 Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The University’s Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice also co-sponsored the fall event.

Alejandro del Carmen, chair of the UT Arlington Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, said the March 20 conference “represents a unique opportunity for the our community to engage with civil rights leaders at the forefront of the bullying prevention movement on the national stage.”

“We are pleased that the White House has recognized UT Arlington’s efforts to educate our students and community about these issues,” del Carmen said.

The White House is expected to release additional program details at a later date. Media outlets may direct inquiries to LGBT@who.eop.gov.

Media contact: Kristin Sullivan, Kristinsul@uta.edu, 817-272-5364

The University of Texas at Arlington, www.uta.edu

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