MAYOR BARAKA’S STATEMENT ON TRANSGENDER TEEN THAT WAS VICIOUSLY BEATEN BY BULLIES AT HIGH SCHOOL

“I join the LGBTQI community as well as the parents, students, and citizens of Newark who are appalled by the recent bullying and vicious attack on fourteen-year-old Kylie Perez, a transgender student, at East Side High School. We must remain vigilant as a community and continue to denounce and to prosecute the hate crimes that are perpetrated upon members of the LGBTQI community. This act was particularly egregious because the victim is a young teen whose attackers assailed her without warning. This incident reinforces the importance of the role of our schools in educating students about the need to respect each other’s rights regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. I will be reaching out to Ms. Perez and her family as well as members of the LGBTQI community to continue to find ways to protect their rights and well-being.”