U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz, Hate Crimes, Tennessee 2023

Hate crimes have a devastating impact not just on the victims and their families, but communities as well.

As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, hate crimes have been on the rise in Memphis, Tennessee, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee has launched a series of presentations in local high schools aimed at educating students on identifying, reporting, and preventing hate crimes and other civil rights violations.

The United Against Hate Program, developed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Hate Crimes Enforcement and Prevention Initiative, is a nationwide effort to build awareness and encourage individuals to report violations. Attorneys from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Assistant Special Agent in Charge from the FBI, and officers from the Memphis Police Department’s Office of Community Policing have launched the local program at Central High School in Memphis and plan to visit additional schools in 2023.

“Civil rights enforcement is a priority of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz. “Ensuring that our citizens, even the young ones, understand the law and how to report what they believe are civil rights violations or hate crimes is essential. Our goal is to equip Memphis youth with the tools to recognize hate crimes or discrimination when it happens and with what steps they should take afterward.”

“Hate crimes have a devastating impact not just on the victims and their families, but communities as well,” said Douglas DePodesta, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Memphis Field Office. “The FBI has been engaged in a nationwide effort to build awareness and encourage individuals to report violations and will continue to do so through the United Against Hate program and other platforms. We want everyone, including students, to understand that if they encounter what they believe is a hate crime that the FBI is here to investigate.”

For more information, contact Public Information Officer Cherri Green at (901) 544-4231 or cherri.green@usdoj.gov. Follow @WDTNNews on Twitter for office news and updates.

If your school is interested in hosting a United Against Hate presentation, contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office. This interactive presentation is best for audiences under 100 students, though they are happy to discuss your school’s unique needs.

To learn more about the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Program, or to file a complaint with our office, visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdtn/civil-rights-program.

To report a possible hate crime, call your local law enforcement or 1-800-CALL FBI.

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