Anti-bullying meeting airs statewide

It's not often that a high school meeting is broadcast live across the state, but Monday's gathering at Del Sol High School centered on a topic that touches a multitude of lives -- bullying.

"It is estimated that 160,000 children in this country miss school every day due to bullying," said Billy Vassiliadis, chief operating officer and principal of R&R Partners, a lobbying and public relations firm.

R&R has led a charge against bullying by creating a handful of TV and radio commercials and print ads and releasing them across Nevada in a campaign called Flip the Script. The two TV commercials can be seen at youtube.com/flipthescriptnv.

Parental, student and educator resources for combating bullying are available at to flipthescriptnow.org.

"Bullying is not limited to the playground anymore," said Steve Schorr, vice president of public and government affairs for Cox Las Vegas, which aired the meeting across Nevada. "Sadly, it's a problem that continues to evolve and taunt during and after school and on weekends through social media and cell phones."

Schorr moderated Monday's gathering, which featured discussion from students and experts such as Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto and Phyllis Friedman of the Anti-Defamation League. The meeting at the campus, near Patrick Lane and McLeod Drive, drew a crowd of about 150 people.

Masto emphasized that bullying is a crime that features both verbal and physical harassment.

"The district has a zero-tolerance policy," Clark County School District Deputy Superintendent Pedro Martinez said.

"Is it handled correctly in every school? No."

The meeting will be rebroadcast on Cox Channel 96 in Southern Nevada at
7 p.m. on Oct. 4, 6, 11, 14, 18 and 20. It will be shown in the rest of Nevada but on different channels.

Contact reporter Trevon Milliard at tmilliard@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0279.