At Hilton High School, Anchor Cristina Domingues from Spectrum News, Captain Sam Bell from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and Monroe County Assistant Public Defender Natalie Ann Knott participate in a panel discussion on racial bias in the media and justice system as part of Public Schools Week.
Hilton High School welcomed Captain Sam Bell from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Anchor Cristina Domingues from Spectrum News, and Monroe County Assistant Public Defender Natalie Ann Knott for a panel discussion on racial bias in the media and justice system. The event was part of Public Schools Week, which is meant to celebrate and promote the great things happening in each school every day by providing an “immersion” experience for local leaders. It is presented by ACT for Education and local public schools in conjunction with National Public Schools Week.
Students in Mary Pignato’s Introduction to Law and Criminology classes and Debbie Montrallo’s Participation in Government classes participated in the panel discussion. The panel addressed questions on the media’s influence on society’s view of crime and criminal patterns, the 2020 NYS Bail Reform legislation and its consequences, whether media prioritizes stories on crime, career opportunities, and many more.
The panel discussion tied into Hilton High School’s involvement with the ROC2Change Student Summit on Race, which is being co-hosted with East High School on March 27 at Monroe 2 BOCES. ROC2Change was established in 2016 as students from Monroe County began to come together to address race relations in the community. Over 500 Monroe County youth have participated in previous ROC2Change Summits to learn about and promote change related to diversity and inclusion. Each year, two summits are organized by students who engage in a facilitated dialogue with peers, working together to develop plans to be the change they believe is needed in our community. The theme of the March 27 event is “Bridge the Gap.”
Provided information and photo
