[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 25, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5728-H5729]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   A CALL TO ACTION AGAINST BULLYING

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Grimm) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GRIMM. Madam Speaker, I rise, unfortunately, today to call 
attention to a growing epidemic that is plaguing families across our 
country, and particularly in my district in Staten Island and Brooklyn.
  This week the New York Post and the Staten Island Advance mentioned a 
story of an 11-year-old student, Cyon Williams. Cyon's struggle is with 
unaddressed bullying, which drove him to contemplate violence and 
suicide. Think about that, an 11-year-old boy contemplating violence 
and suicide.
  Just a few weeks ago, I met with this bright and very impressive 
young man along with his mother at their home. I have to tell you it 
was an absolutely heartbreaking story to see this very mild-mannered, 
very nice, polite, respectful young man tell me a heartbreaking story 
of how he is terrified to go to school every day, but yet he is 
yearning to read and to learn.

                              {time}  1015

  Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, Cyon is far from alone. There is an 
example of a tragic suicide of a 15-year-old Tottenville student back 
in 2012, and that suicide proves all too well that this epidemic is 
continuing.
  In her memory and the memory of countless innocent children 
victimized by bullying, it is time that we all say enough is enough. We 
must demand accountability from those charged with addressing bullying 
in our schools, especially in New York City, where one in five public 
school students are victimized by abusive peers.
  I am calling on all of my colleagues to join me in cosponsoring H.R. 
1199, the Safe Schools Improvement Act. This would require all public 
schools to establish policies to combat bullying.
  We owe it to all of our young adults to demand safe learning 
environments, where they can grow and develop in a peaceful 
environment.

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