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The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and the Matthew Shepard Foundation, in partnership with the Charleston Police Department will host a training on hate crime prevention for local law enforcement officers, investigators and prosecutors on Friday, February 12th.

The curriculum will include a presentation by two families whose lives were directly impacted by hate. We are thankful to Susan Bro, mother of Heather Heyer who tragically lost her life when a car plowed into a crowd of peaceful counter-demonstrators who were protesting a rally of white nationalists in Charlottesville in 2017, and Dennis and Judy Shepard, who lost their son Matt in October of 1998. Both families will join us remotely to share their stories with the officers, giving attendees a clear understanding of the devastating impact violent hate crimes have on families and communities.

We are fortunate to have experienced facilitators Cynthia Deitle from the Matthew Shepard Foundation and Nadia Aziz, Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Arab American Institute, leading the training. As a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for more than 22 years.

In addition, retired Metropolitan Police Department Lieutenant Brett Parson and Legal Fellows Katie Sandson and Raymond Wilkes from Northeastern University School of Law, have joined the training team.