As part of a community-wide diversity initiative to raise awareness and appreciation for all members of our community, Lawrence University will host a screening of the 2010 movie “Bullied,” followed by an in-person presentation/discussion led by the focus of the film, Jamie Nabozny.
The event, Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center, is free and open to the public.
The film chronicles the verbal and physical harassment suffered by Nabozny as an Ashland, Wis., student because he was gay. After years of being targeted by bullies, including a beating that sent him to the hospital for abdominal surgery, Nabozny fought back through the court system. He eventually won a precedent-setting landmark lawsuit against the school district in federal court. The historic case was the first legal challenge to antigay violence in public schools.
Named a “Defender of Human Rights” by the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, Nabozny travels the country speaking out on behalf of other marginalized students and issues of bullying.
Nabozny’s presentation is the first of two public presentations he will make in conjunction with 20 others at schools throughout the Fox Cities in the coming weeks as part of a four-month community initiative entitled “INCLUDE: Embracing the LGBT Community in the Fox Valley.” The program will be publicly announced at a community breakfast Jan. 23 at downtown Appleton’s Radisson Paper Valley Hotel.
About Lawrence University
Founded in 1847, Lawrence University uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, both devoted exclusively to undergraduate education. It was selected for inclusion in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013 and the book “Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College.” Individualized learning, the development of multiple interests and community engagement are central to the Lawrence experience. Lawrence draws its 1,500 students from nearly every state and more than 50 countries. Follow Lawrence on Facebook.
