The community is invited to attend a free bystander intervention training with Deputy Director of CAIR Oklahoma Veronica Laizure.
The presentation, which is open to all ages, is part of Oklahoma City’s Human Rights Commission’s May meeting. It will be held at noon on Wednesday, May 22, in the Friends Room at the Ronald J. Norick Downtown Library, 300 Park Ave.
People can park near the Downtown Library in paid street parking or public garages like the Arts Garage. There are also multiple public transportation options with nearby stops, including an EMBARK bus stop and OKC Streetcar stop at North Hudson Avenue and Park Avenue.
What is bystander intervention training?
A bystander is someone who witnesses and ignores a prejudiced attack, whether through choice or ignorance of the discriminatory nature of the situation, according to the American Psychological Association.
“We are so excited to invite the public to attend our May HRC meeting,” Human Rights Commission Compliance Officer Emma Winiski said. “This training will help residents recognize and safely challenge situations where discrimination or potential violence are occurring.”
Laizure joined CAIR Oklahoma as a staff attorney in 2014 and then expanded her role to civil rights director, culminating in her appointment to deputy director in 2022. In her time with the civil rights department, Laizure has served hundreds of clients who experienced religious discrimination and harassment and educated thousands of Oklahoma Muslims on how to secure their own civil rights, establishing CAIR Oklahoma as a leader in the social justice movement in Oklahoma.
She is President of the Board of Directors for the ACLU of Oklahoma, in addition to serving on the board of the Oklahoma Access to Justice Foundation and the Asian Task Force on Domestic and Sexual Violence. Laizure also activated the state’s largest legal observer program to protect those exercising their First Amendment rights, which began in 2020 and continues to support local protests and demonstrations.
For more information, contact the Office of Equity at hrc@okc.gov.
About Oklahoma City’s Human Rights Commission
The Oklahoma City Human Rights Commission meets every other month and is responsible for addressing alleged harm to people who have been discriminated against because of their race, color, religion, creed, sex, gender, national origin, age, familial status, genetic information, or disability related to employment, housing, and public accommodations as provided by Oklahoma laws regarding discrimination.
###
Media Contact
Kristy Yager
(405) 297-2550