TOWN OF TONAWANDA – Today, Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn joined Superintendent Sabatino Cimato of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District to announce that his office held a presentation at Kenmore East High School this morning to educate students about the serious consequences and potential criminal charges that can result from using social media to bully, harass or threaten others. The presentation was one of several scheduled events in the Ken-Ton School District as part of an ongoing effort by the Erie County District Attorney’s Office to enhance school safety. 

While the role of the Erie County District Attorney’s Office is primarily reactive in the investigation and prosecution of a case after a crime has occurred, District Attorney Flynn is seeking innovative ways to prevent crime. Our office has seen an increase in the number of adolescents involved in the criminal justice system. DA Flynn is taking a proactive approach to this concerning issue by collaborating with schools in Erie County to educate our youth about the dangers of engaging in criminal behavior.

The Erie County DA’s Office, at the request of the schools, created a presentation focused on preventing cyberbullying, school threats and other misuse of social media. The request followed a series of threats this school year that impacted multiple districts throughout Western New York. Yesterday, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office held two presentations for students at Franklin Middle School. Prosecutors are scheduled to hold additional presentations on this topic for students at Hoover Middle School and Big Picture Program later this month. A presentation will also be scheduled at Kenmore West High School.

Our office has provided similar educational presentations at other schools throughout Erie County. Prosecutors have visited classrooms and organized panel discussions on gun violence and other criminal justice-related issues that affect our youth and our schools. To date in the 2021-2022 school year, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office has provided 22 presentations for students at 13 different schools with additional presentations scheduled in the coming months. 

“I am committing to keeping the schools in Erie County safe. My office is always seeking new ways to engage with people in our community, especially young people. I believe that our children are our future, so we need to get a message to them at an early age to think twice before posting because there are real consequences to what you put out on social media. I want to thank the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District for partnering with my office on this initiative. I hope that we can continue to share this message with other schools in Erie County and prevent further incidents from occurring in the future,” said Erie County District Attorney John Flynn.

“This is an unprecedented time and we must have our eyes wide open to the challenges that our young people will continue to face. Through initiatives like this, and deep partnerships, I am confident that we will remain proactive in addressing our students’ needs,” said Superintendent Sabatino Cimato of the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda Union Free School District.

Any school located within Erie County can request a student presentation on a criminal-justice related topic. For more information, visit the Community Relations page on the Erie County District Attorney’s Office website: https://www2.erie.gov/da/community-relations-public-information