In honor of the Week of Respect, freshmen and sophomores attended a powerful presentation by David D’Amico, Chief Investigator of Internal Affairs for the Middlesex County Department of Corrections and Youth Services. Before his current role, D’Amico served as a detective in the Bias Crimes Division with the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.

     D’Amico encouraged students to recognize that there is strength in diversity and opened his presentation by asking them to share their first impressions of him. He invited everyone to “walk in another person’s shoes” to understand the bias and prejudice others face each day.

     He defined a hate crime as any act committed against someone because of their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or disability—and discussed how prejudice can grow from ignorance to violence. Using his “Prejudice Pyramid,” D’Amico showed how stereotypes and resentment can lead to acts of hate if left unchallenged.

     Students watched impactful video clips and shared their thoughts and emotions throughout the session. D’Amico urged them to recognize, respond, and report any bias or hate they see and reminded them that being a bystander makes you part of the problem.

     “Words are like bullets—you can’t take them back,” he told students, encouraging them to choose their words carefully and lead with kindness and respect.

     D’Amico closed by thanking the students for their attentiveness and respect. He shared that his passion for this work is deeply personal—he has faced prejudice himself and believes education and empathy are the keys to change.