Pullman anti-bullying group joins national effort

A grassroots anti-bullying group in Pullman has decided to affiliate with Not In Our Town, a nationwide campaign to address bullying and hate crimes and promote safe, inclusive communities.

Karen Kiessling, former mayor of Pullman, and Pullman resident Bertie Weddell officiated the local group’s second meeting Tuesday at the Community Congregational United Church of Christ when it voted to affiliate with NIOT and take on its name moving forward.

NIOT is a product of the Working Group, an Oakland-based nonprofit media company founded in 1988.

In 1995, the company produced “Not In Our Town,” a PBS film that documented a series of hate crimes in Billings, Mont. Since then, a national anti-hate movement has launched and various local affiliated organizations exist throughout the country.

During the meeting, Kiessling announced that a reward fund dedicated to collecting information leading to the arrest of people who commit hate crimes in the area had reached $5,580. The fund, Kiessling said, began with $500 donations from three couples: herself and her husband, Nick Kiessling; Terry and Ruth Day; and Mayor Glenn Johnson and his wife, Kathy.

“I was thrilled to hear that amount of money,” Karen Kiessling said.

Karen Kiessling said Terry Day started the fund in January after reports surfaced that gay slurs had been painted on a Washington State University student’s car.

Those who wish to donate to the fund can send a check to the city of Pullman with a memo that says “reward fund” or “hate crimes.”

Weddell also announced she and Karen Kiessling would be stepping down to allow others to lead the group in future meetings.

Weddell said after the meeting that Pullman resident Charla Chaudhry and Garfield resident Susan Ferman had volunteered for co-chair positions and they would most likely officiate the group’s next meeting, which is set for noon March 1 in the basement of the Community Congregational United Church of Christ.

Chaudhry supported the decision to affiliate with NIOT, saying there is power in numbers.

“Today was a step forward in creating an identity that we can all grab hold of,” Chaudhry said.

The next step, she said, is for the group to determine the direction they wish to take moving forward.