New Jersey's Interagency Task Force to Combat Youth Bias, established by executive order in 2019 following a report indicating increase in youth bias in NJ, will host four community listening sessions. Goal is to give residents a voice, and to help determine how to best combat the problem.
The Governor’s Office created the Task Force earlier this year after data compiled by State Police and analyzed by the Division on Civil Rights showed NJ's “rising tide of hate." The report noted there were 569 reported bias incidents in NJ in 2018. In 2017, data showed 29.6 percent of known bias offenders in NJ were minors. Troublingly, more than a quarter of the reported bias incidents in 2018 occurred at institutions of higher education, and nearly half of the offenders in those incidents were minors.
Residents wishing to attend, speak, or submit an online comment are encouraged to register at https://www.nj.gov/oag/dcr/listening.html or submit written statements forums@njcivilrights.gov.
Listening Session Schedule:
• Wednesday, Nov. 13 at Chabad House in New Brunswick, at 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, Nov. 20 at Donovan Catholic High School in Toms River, at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Nov. 21 at John Wesley United Methodist Church in Bridgeton, at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 25 at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Hackensack, at 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.