Assistant Attorney General Thomas E. Perez to Visit the Eastern District of Wisconsin to Highlight Civil Rights Issues and Department of Justice Programs
James L. Santelle, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that the Honorable Thomas E. Perez, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, United States Department of Justice, will be visiting the Eastern District of Wisconsin on Friday, November 4, 2011.
In making this announcement, Santelle stated that the principal purpose of the visit will be to highlight the litigation mission, both criminal and civil, of the Office of the United States Attorney, in addressing civil rights issues and challenges of all types - including those in the areas of hate crimes, racial and ethnic equality, bullying in schools, fair housing and other issues relevant to communities throughout the district.
According to Santelle, he and Assistant Attorney General Perez will be meeting with representatives of various community groups, local officials, attorneys, and professional staff at several venues in the greater Milwaukee area throughout the day.
These sessions will begin in the morning with a discussion and consultation with the leadership of the Latino Community. Later in the morning, Assistant Attorney General Perez will accompany Santelle to the Islamic Society of Milwaukee Community Center. There they will meet with leaders of the Islamic-Arab Community.
During the noon hour, Santelle will escort Assistant Attorney General Perez to the Alliance School in Milwaukee located at 850 W. Walnut Street, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Alliance School of Milwaukee was highlighted in a recent Time Magazine article on “What You Need to Know About Bullying” published on October 13, 2011. The Alliance School is a year round school serving the needs of 165 students, grades 6-12. The school’s primary purpose is to be a safe place committed to educational excellence where students are treated fairly at all times regardless of sexuality, identity, appearance, ability or beliefs.
Following an informal lunch at the school, Assistant Attorney General Perez will deliver an address on the topic of bullying in schools. After the address Assistant Attorney General Perez will meet with representatives of the media to discuss his visit and answer questions.
In the afternoon, Perez and Santelle will meet with the leadership of the African American Community. The day will conclude with a meeting at the Office of the United States Attorney with members of the Fair Housing Community.
In his description of the goals of the day, Santelle stated: “Tom Perez’s visit to the Eastern District of Wisconsin, including his stops at various civil rights-related locations will not only underscore the critical importance of enforcement actions, both civil and criminal, but will also signal to all people of the district that the Office of the United States Attorney is committed to an agenda of fairness, even-handedness, and equality in housing, employment, accommodation, safety, and fundamental human rights.” Santelle concluded: “I am looking forward to the thoughtful and inspirational messages that the Assistant Attorney General will surely convey to all of us about the Justice Department’s renewed attention to and focus on civil rights.”
Assistant Attorney General Perez’s biography is included with this media release. Inquiries about opportunities for media involvement in this program should be directed to Mr. Dean Puschnig or Ms. Elizabeth Makowski, both of the Office of the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, at (414) 297-1700.
