Harrisburg, PA, May 15, 2017… The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) conducted a bipartisan training on extremism and hate crime for Pennsylvania State Senate legislators and their staffs. The program, co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Senate Republican and Democratic caucuses, took place Friday, May 12, and was broadcast via live stream to hundreds of legislative staffers across the state.
The program, entitled The State of Hate in Pennsylvania: How Elected Officials Can Respond to Extremism, aimed to equip lawmakers to more effectively address extremism and bigotry in Pennsylvania. A Senior Investigative Researcher from ADL’s Center on Extremism presented on extremist activity in the state, around the region and across the country, and ADL’s Northeast Civil Rights Counsel explored best practices for elected officials in preventing and responding to acts of hate.
“Bigotry can ruin lives and terrorize entire communities,” said Nancy K. Baron-Baer, ADL Regional Director. “In order to effectively combat extremism, Pennsylvanians from across the political spectrum must come together. Lawmakers’ voices and actions are critical to winning the fight against hate in the Keystone State.”
“We commend Pennsylvania Senate Republicans and Democrats for co-sponsoring this important training,” Ms. Baron-Baer continued. “We are very grateful to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati and Senate Minority Leader Jay Costa for their leadership in organizing the event. In a time of great political division in our country, we are thrilled that Pennsylvania is a national model of cooperation on this critical issue.”
“Pennsylvania Senate Republicans and Democrats are pleased to partner with the Anti-Defamation League to educate lawmakers about extremism and hate crime,” said Shelly Brown, Majority Staff Administrator for Senator Scarnati, and Anthony Lepore, Chief of Staff for Senator Costa. “Hate will never find a haven in Pennsylvania, and we are committed to working together to reduce bigotry in the state.”
The State of Hate in Pennsylvania program comes on the heels of ADL’s latest Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents, which recorded a 56% spike in anti-Semitic incidents across Pennsylvania in 2016. The surge included the recent desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Philadelphia, as well as bomb threats to two JCCs in the State, which were part of a wave of at least 165 threatening calls to Jewish institutions around the world.
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The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is one of the world’s leading organizations fighting anti-Semitism and all forms of hate through programs and services that counteract prejudice and bigotry. Follow us on Twitter: @ADLPhiladelphia
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