Hate Free Zone: Bully Proofing our Children, Classroom and

Hate Free Zone: Bully Proofing our
Children, Classroom and Community
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Busboys & Poets
Tweet your questions to @adctweets!
Tonight’s Lineup
Pictured (L-R) – Marielle Costanza, Lauren Schreiber, Sarah Munshi, Rajdeep Singh, Frank Gallagher, Abed Ayoub
Event MC
Marielle Costanza has spent more than six years studying and working on topics related to the Middle East. She
graduated with an MA in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University in 2010. Her graduate thesis analyzed the
role of dabkeh in contemporary Lebanon. In 2008, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Utah with
degrees in Middle Eastern Studies: Arabic, International Studies, and History. Her areas of academic interest include:
foreign policy, history of the modern Middle East, sectarianism, democracy in the Middle East, women and minority
rights, and Arab politics. She was born in the southern United States and has lived in the Northeast and Midwest as
well. Marielle is a strong advocate of civil and human rights and the power of education in implementing change.
Moderator
Lauren Schreiber is the Community Outreach & Events Coordinator for the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) here in Washington, D.C. With a background in youth development and over four years of experience
engaging disengaged youth in the district, Lauren has taken the lead on CAIR’s new anti-bullying efforts by
presenting free workshops for young people addressing identity-based bullying, specifically in the Muslim
community. A lifelong resident of Prince George’s County, Md., Lauren received a bachelor’s degree in cultural
anthropology with a minor in African diaspora studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2009.
Speakers
Rajdeep Singh joined the Sikh Coalition in December 2009 and serves as its Director of Law and Policy. As Director of
Law and Policy, he focuses on developing and promoting policy solutions for civil rights issues through an
interdisciplinary combination of government affairs, media relations, and interfaith coalition building. In this capacity,
he has substantively engaged with the U.S. Congress, White House, and several federal agencies, including the
Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security, and Department of State; led successful efforts to pass
equal employment opportunity legislation in Oregon and California; published articles in the Washington Post and
New York Times; appeared on numerous television and radio programs; and delivered dozens of presentations at
government agencies, law schools, and universities.
Rajdeep has a background in bank regulation and is the author of The Application of the Religious Freedom
Restoration Act to Appearance Regulations that Presumptively Prohibit Observant Sikh Lawyers from Joining the U.S.
Army Judge Advocate General Corps, which was published by the Chapman Law Review in 2007, and How State Photo
Identification Standards Can be Used to Undermine Religious Freedom, which was published by the Asian American
Law Journal at UC Berkeley Law School in 2012. He earned his law degree in 2006 at the College of William & Mary
and received his undergraduate degree in philosophy in 2003 at the University of Miami.
Sarah Munshi is a Policy Associate for the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a New York-based
non-profit working to create a safe and supportive school climate for all children at the federal, state, and local level.
Sarah holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Texas, as well as a Master's in Public Policy from the University
of Chicago. Sarah previously worked at the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (NBCSL), providing research and
training in the Committees of Education and Law, Justice, & Ethics to improve the effectiveness of African American
state legislators across the states. She’s also worked as staffer on Capitol Hill for Congressman Gregory Meeks, where
she handled a legislative portfolio consisting of education and international affairs.
Frank Gallagher is Executive Director of Cable in the Classroom (CIC), the education foundation of the cable
telecommunications industry. He is a specialist in the areas of media and information literacy, internet safety, digital
citizenship, and the impact of media on children and speaks frequently on those topics. He is the recipient of a 2011
Family Online Safety Institute Award for Outstanding Achievement. Mr. Gallagher manages CIC's staff, work, and
strategic direction. He was a consulting editor to CIC's publications, Cable in the Classroom Magazine and Threshold,
and is also responsible for tracking the cable industry’s work with schools, and writing briefing materials for both the
cable and education communities.
ADC Representative
Abed A. Ayoub serves as the Director of Legal and Policy Affairs for ADC. Ayoub is a distinguished attorney, whose
years of public services and commitment to the field of civil rights and justice, has earned him national praise and
accolades. Through his focus on law and policy, Ayoub has worked with many diverse communities and
individuals. Ayoub has dedicated to ensuring that the rights of all Americans are protected. As a graduate of the
University of Detroit-Mercy School of Law, Ayoub is admitted to the Michigan State Bar. Ayoub joined the ADC staff in
2002, as the Membership and Development Coordinator for the ADC-Michigan Office. In 2003, he was elected as
Chapter President of ADC-Detroit, a position he held for two terms. Abed went on to serve on the ADC-Michigan
Advisory Board, and contributed to the growing success of the ADC Michigan Network, before joining the ADC
national office in 2007. Ayoub was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan; one of the most diverse metropolitan areas in
the U.S. He attended the University of Michigan where he received a BA in Corporate Communications and Public
Relations. Ayoub has worked with a number of organizations on interfaith projects and has volunteered his time with
in numerous non-profit organizations throughout the country.
The 2012-2013 Arabesque Lecture Series offers a lecture or panel discussion each month featuring a
rich and diverse selection of topics ranging from current politics to culture of the Arab American
community and the Arab World. Learn more about ADC at www.adc.org