department of justice holds hate crimes conference in cedar falls
Contact: Peter Deegan
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa held a hate crimes conference today on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The conference focused on the federal Matthew Shepard/James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act.
In October 1998, two men murdered Matthew Shepard, a 21-year-old college student in Laramie, Wyoming, because of his sexual orientation. Matthew was kidnaped, severely beaten, and left to die tied to a fence on the outskirts of Laramie. Today marks the anniversary of his death.
Today’s hate crimes conference was attended by federal, state, and local prosecutors and law enforcement agents. The conference coincided with presentation of “The Laramie Project” and “The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later” on October 13 and 14 at the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the UNI campus.
“Today’s conference added to the tools of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents in the fight against hate crimes,” said United States Attorney Stephanie Rose. “Recent news accounts of suicides by young people who were subjected to harassment because of being gay have served as terrible reminders of the consequences of intolerance. No person should have to live in fear or be a victim of crime because of who they are.”
The Matthew Shepard/James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was signed into law in October 2009. The Act makes it a federal felony to cause bodily injury or attempt to cause bodily injury to a person because of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. Iowa also has a hate crimes law punishing crimes based upon race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, age, and disability.
If you or someone you know may be a victim of a hate crime, contact local law enforcement, the FBI, or the United States Attorney’s Office.
