Left to right: Assistant Principal Andrew Howell, School Counselor TinaMarie Shea,
Pompton Lakes School Resource Officer Pete Forte, Pompton Lakes Sergeant Dan Cottrell,
Principal, Dr. Jacob Herninko, Senior Assistant Prosecutor Billy Can, Assistant Prosecutor Robert
Serrano, Assistant Prosecutor Haley Leibowitz, PCPO Detective Lieutenant Maria Tejada,
Pompton Lakes Patrolman Joseph Capobianco, and Pompton Lakes Sergeant Joseph Ruffo
Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes announces that the Passaic County Prosecutor’s
Office (PCPO) Bias Crime Legal and Investigative Team is continuing its community outreach
and conducted an educational presentation on October 17, 2023, at Lakeside Middle School in
Pompton Lakes on the topics of Bias and Bullying. The goal of the presentations was to educate
students about Bias by providing real-life practical examples to empower students to make better
decisions.
The presentations, led by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Billy Can, Assistant Prosecutor Haley
Leibowitz and Assistant Prosecutor Robert Serrano, were geared toward sixth, seventh, and eight
grade students. The students were taught the difference between a Bias Incident and a Bias Crime
with an interactive discussion about the ramifications of targeting a person of a protected class,
based in part, upon their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and/or disability. Also, part of
the presentations were Pompton Lakes Police Department Detective Sergeant Jospeh Ruffo,
Seargeant Dan Cottrell, Patrolman Joseph Capobianco, and School Resource Officer Pete Forte.
The Bias Legal Team explained that actions by a student directed at a classmate from a protected
class would not only be investigated by the school but would also be reported to the PCPO Bias
Unit and could subject a student to criminal consequences. The Bias Legal Team focused on the
impact of social media on students, explaining that even though certain questionable
statements/comments are conveyed on a virtual platform and heard by a large audience does not
preclude them from being considered Bias, nor should a student believe that repeating those words
or actions would insulate them from possible repercussions.
Students were encouraged to report any incidences of suspected Bias to a school official or another
trusted adult and, most significantly, reminded that negative actions taken today against another
could have lasting effects that may impact college plans and beyond. Students were further advised
that reports of suspected Bias or Bullying could also be reported anonymously to a teacher and
then reviewed, with possible involvement of the PCPO.
For more information about having PCPO conduct a Bias Presentation at your school, please email
Executive First Assistant James P. Berado at jberado@passaiccountynj.org
