STATE NEWS

SAFE SCHOOLS SOUTH FLORIDA MARKS 30 YEARS

Everitt Rosen, South Florida Gay News

Miami-Dade County, Fla. | Safe Schools South Florida is celebrating its 30th year of service to the safety, support and education of LGBTQ students and their educators and staff. Established in 1991 by two Miami-Dade County Public School teachers and activists, Rolly Funk and Robert Loupo, it offers district-wide training for teachers, counselors, administrators and staff to help create safer classrooms and schools for LGBTQ students.

Its mission is to help these students grow, thrive, and succeed in their academic careers, personal lives and career endeavors. “When we first started 30 years ago, information on LGBTQ issues was not readily available, it wasn’t something that you could just google and find a wealth of information,” said the Executive Director of Safe Schools South Florida Scott Galvin.

Learn more about the organization at SafeSchoolsSouthFlorida.org.

HATE CRIME CHARGES AGAINST VANDAL DROPPED

Christiana Lilly, South Florida Gay News

PALM BEACH CO., FLA. | The Palm Beach County state attorney’s office filed charges of criminal mischief and reckless driving against the man who allegedly defaced the Pride intersection in Delray Beach in June.

The felony and misdemeanor charges were announced in court Aug. 5. The Delray Beach Police Department had originally charged Alexander Jerich with a hate crime.

A plea hearing is scheduled for Sept. 13. “Everyone who was part of this case was disturbed by the defendant’s conduct and as prosecutors we have to file charges based on the law and the law has some gaps in it,” State Attorney Dave Aronberg said. “We don’t want to violate our oaths as prosecutors and we don’t want to jeopardize the case by charging inappropriately.”

Jerich, 21, was arrested June 17 after a video surfaced online of him burning out over the intersection, leaving behind large skidmarks. The intersection had only been dedicated two days prior. Aronberg explained that his office had looked into charging Jerich with a hate crime, but that it did not meet one of the requirements of the law. He said that the victim in this case was the city of Delray Beach, which does not have a sexual orientation or gender identity.

The police report states that the cost of street space was $16,720 and the city is working with the vendor to have the intersection repainted. Richard Clausi, Jr., assistant state attorney, said that the cost to fix it has been estimated around $8,000.

The Palm Beach County Human Rights Council (PBCHRC) denounced the office’s charges. “Although I was not surprised that State Attorney Dave Aronberg shied away from charging Alexander Jerich under the new Combating Public Disorder Act, I was shocked that he refused to seek enhanced penalties under Florida’s hate crimes law,” wrote Rand Hoch, president of PBCHRC.

“If surveillance cameras caught someone carving anti-Semitic slurs in the sidewalk in front of a store owned by a Jewish person in Delray Beach, don’t you think State Attorney Aronberg would charge the person with a hate crime?” he also asked.

During his press conference, Aronberg said he imagines that moving forward, how memorials are completed and honored will be changed in order to protect them from vandals.

“Make no mistake, we are appalled by the defendant’s actions. Hate has no place in our community and we intend to hold the defendant accountable for his crimes,” Aronberg said. “Any punishment must also include restitution that will pay for the Pride streetscape to be fully restored to its original form.”

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