MORRIS COUNTY  — Kevin Hasenbein, a 19-year-old who has proved his talent on the Morristown High School football field, has scored a spring internship with the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.

Kevin, who has Down Syndrome, officially started his new position February 4 fulfilling tasks alongside Sheriff’s Office detectives in the Evidence Section.

His internship, slated to run through June 24, involves Kevin working at the Superior Courthouse on Mondays and in the Evidence Section on Wednesdays.

“I, along with all members of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, welcome Kevin’s enthusiastic presence. His spirit and energy will make us better people,” Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon said.

Kevin also is completing a separate internship on Tuesdays and Thursdays with the Civil Division of the Superior Court in Morristown.

Kevin, in 2018, obtained his Morristown High School diploma after fulfilling his graduation requirements at a school in Chatham. He returned to Morristown High School in the fall to participate in its Colonial Learning Independence For Employment, known as the Colonial L.I.F.E. program, which assists 18 to 21-year-old individuals in learning basic employment skills.

Through Colonial L.I.F.E.’s partnerships with Morris County Superior Court and Morris County government, Kevin is tackling his internships, known as Structured Learning Experiences. Colonial L.I.F.E. Job Coach Jonathan Mestell will accompany Kevin while he works for the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.

Kevin already achieved headline-making celebrity status in October 2018 during Morristown High School’s Homecoming football game against the Delbarton School.

Kevin’s younger brother, Eric, plays for the high school’s Colonials football team and Kevin is an honorary member and ardent fan. The Colonials arranged for Kevin to suit up for the Homecoming game and participate in a dazzling play in which he outran players to carry the ball 80 yards into the end zone to score a touchdown.

Morristown High School Transition Coordinator Patricia Herbert said Kevin is well-known and beloved at the high school.

“Kevin is very personable. He’s like a rock star at school. He’s always got a smile on his face and is truly a pleasure to be around,” Herbert said.

MORRIS COUNTY —  Following the tragic death of Mallory Rose Grossman, a 12-year-old Rockaway student who committed suicide after suffering from bullying, Senators Joe Pennacchio and Patrick Diegnan have introduced bipartisan legislation to standardize and strengthen New Jersey’s anti-bullying laws.

Their legislation, “Mallory’s Law,” represents a comprehensive approach to prevent and respond to bullying in New Jersey, by increasing the repercussions and ensuring school officials take preventative actions before tragedy strikes.

“My heart breaks for Mallory’s family,” Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) said. “We must take action to ensure no one ever goes through this again. ‘Mallory’s Law’ combats the harassment and intimidation that can lead children to take their own lives. This bill would also require school and county officials to address bullying, before it gets out of control. Increasing transparency and accountability, while standardizing this process, will help us end the culture of bullying.”

Mallory Grossman was bullied on school grounds and harassed via Snapchat and text messages relentlessly, before she took her own life on June 14, 2017.

Mallory’s parents have turned their grief into action, by starting “Mallory’s Army,” a national movement to save other children from the devastating effects of bullying. On December 18, 2017 Senator Pennacchio and his colleagues in the State Senate honored Mallory’s Army for their efforts.

“Mallory Rose Grossman’s story will help others,” said Seth and Dianne Grossman, the parents of Mallory Grossman. “Her journey has been the inspiration for many in New Jersey to bring change to the way bullying issues are handled in and out of school. We are grateful to Senator Joe Pennacchio, Senator Patrick Diegnan and all of the administrative teams for working with us on ‘Mallory’s Law.’ It’s a law we believe is in the best interest of all of our children, schools and families.”

“Many people say that bullying doesn’t happen or that kids just need toughen up. I can tell you that bullying is still happening in our schools, and it is causing an enormous amount of psychological distress to our students,” Senator Patrick Diegnan (D-18) said. “Our society struggles with handling mental health issues. We especially have to fix these issues when they affect young students in our schools. Unfortunately, we are too late for Mallory, a student who committed suicide after intense bullying. It shouldn’t take the loss of life for us to act.”

Pennacchio and Diegnan’s legislation would reinforce and intensify the state’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights.” The legislation was signed into law after cyber harassment led to the tragic suicide of Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi in 2010.

Although New Jersey’s “Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights” is considered to be one of the toughest anti-bullying laws in the nation, students have continued to be victimized to the point of suicide.

“Mallory’s Law” would expand the school bullying reporting and notification process. This bill would forward all accounts of bullying to the executive county superintendent and the parents of students involved in the incident.

Cyber harassment has further-intensified bullying, with children now being badgered at home through their cell phones and computers.

Recently, Paterson fifth grader Samara Moreno committed suicide after being bullied at school. She was 11-years-old.

“The current anti-bullying laws on the book must do more to protect our kids in an era where people are instantly accessible via social media platforms like Snapchat and iMessage,” Senator Pennacchio added. “’Mallory’s Law’ will ensure the bully, parents, and the school are made well aware of any incidents, and that proper disciplinary actions are taken before we lose more young lives.”

“Mallory’s Law” would ensure that parents are more involved when their child is accused of bullying. The bill would also direct New Jersey school districts to provide means for parents to complete an online form to report any occurrences of bullying.

The legislation would also require that each school district’s anti-bullying policy must include specific penalties for bullying. Any proven act of bullying would lead to the incident being added to the student’s permanent record.

Under the bill, bullies found culpable of harassment more than three times must attend anti-bullying training with their parents. Law enforcement will also be notified to see if the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice has been violated.

Victims of bullying are at a higher risk of experiencing mental health issues such as low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression.

Studies have also shown that children who are bullied by their parents, or witness their parents engaging in bullying perpetration are more likely to be bullies themselves, which demonstrates the need for this legislative effort to ensure parents are held accountable if their child bullies a fellow student.

A civil liability may be imposed on the parent of a bully who demonstrates blatant disregard of supervising their child, if their child has been judged to be delinquent of harassment or cyber harassment.

“The State of New Jersey must take every appropriate action to reduce bullying by increasing the strength and transparency of the reporting process,” Senator Pennacchio added. “Enacting ‘Mallory’s Law’ will bring us one step closer to ensuring bullying will not be tolerated in any school in the Garden State.”

MORRIS COUNTY — Scholarship applications are now being accepted for students with disabilities who are graduating this year. The Alliance of Private Special Education Schools of Northern New Jersey, a group of more than 40 state-approved specialized schools serving students with a wide range of disabilities in northern and central New Jersey is proud to sponsor the scholarship.

Understanding the range of barriers that students with disabilities often face, the Alliance is committed to helping students advance their options beyond high school graduation. Scholarship criteria encourages continuing education and training, increased independence, goal setting, and promotes community integration and the use of local resources and supports.

The Connections for the Future Scholarship provides up to $1,000 in financial support and recognition for graduating north Jersey, public school students with disabilities.

Last year, two graduates were awarded the funds and continued their studies in visual arts and special education.

To learn more about and apply for the scholarships, click here. Application deadline for the scholarships is March 1.

The winners will be presented with the scholarships on April 6 at the Alliance’s Annual Spring Conference taking place at the College of Saint Elizabeth in Morristown. The conference is free of charge and open to all community members who are interested in learning more about strategies for advocacy and systems change and will feature keynote speaker, Assemblywoman Mila Jasey.

The Alliance of Private Special Education Schools of Northern New Jersey is a nonprofit organization comprised of state-approved private schools for students with disabilities. The Alliance provides important resources, advocacy assistance, and information for parents, educators, professionals, and others who are interested in helping students receive the special education services they need. The website features a unique “school finder” tool to help visitors locate an appropriate school program. Resources and informative articles on special education topics can be found by clicking here. Families and professionals can also call for information and advocacy support at (973) 407-0596.

MORRIS COUNTY — On Tuesday, February 5 New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal spoke to approximately 125 attendees and community leaders of Morris County and Sussex County concerning his recently issued Immigrant Trust Directive. Attorney General Grewal explained the directive, then fielded questions from those in the audience.

This two hour community outreach event was held at the Presbyterian Church of Morristown Parish House as part of Attorney General Grewal’s 21-21 Community Policing Project, in which all 21 County Prosecutor’s Offices conduct educational programs for the communities in which they serve. The event was hosted by the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General in partnership with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp and Sussex County Prosecutor Francis Koch provided welcoming remarks to those in attendance before AG Grewal’s presentation. Deputy Attorney General Joseph Walsh provided the audience with an in-depth analysis of the functions and execution of the Immigrant Trust Directive following the opening remarks and Attorney General Grewal’s question and answer period. His presentation explained how the Immigrant Trust Directive will function in New Jersey upon its effective date of March 15, 2019. Walsh took questions following his presentation. The audience was eager to clarify some of the aspects of the Directive, and many questions were answered by DAG Walsh.

Also in attendance was Rachel Apter, Director of the Division on Civil Rights. Director Apter provided remarks on the second portion of the program, Bias Crimes and Incidents. The second half of the program consisted of a panel discussion moderated by Prosecutor Knapp focused on Bias Crimes and Incidents.

The panel was comprised of NJ OAG Training & Outreach Liaison David Leonardis, Middlesex County Department of Corrections Chief Investigator David D’Amico, FBI Special Agent Vernon Addison, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Detective Supervisor Patrick LaGuerre, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Samantha DeNegri, and Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office Assistant Prosecutor Donald Cox. The discussion covered the differences between bias crimes and incidents, law enforcement’s procedures in investigating bias crimes and incidents, and the legal aspects in charging those types of crimes.

The combination of state and federal employees on the panel provided the audience with the opportunity to obtain as much information as possible. Morris County Prosecutor Fredric Knapp said, “I would like to thank Attorney General Grewal, Prosecutor Koch and all of our partners in this event for ensuring its success.

We were thrilled to see so many community members in attendance. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office will continue to host outreach programs with the goals of further educating the community on law enforcement and to help the public better understand the duties and obligations of police and prosecutors”. Sussex County Prosecutor Francis Koch stated: “It was a pleasure and honor to co-host this important public forum with the Attorney General’s Office and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.

Public outreach events such as this are critical to educate the public and to foster trust, and establish better and more cooperative relationships between all community members and law enforcement. This event was a success in all regards and I look forward to continuing with community outreach programs.”