Long Island Coalition Against Bullying outlines district work as Connetquot students describe peer ambassador visits

The Connetquot Central School District board heard a presentation from the Long Island Coalition Against Bullying (LICAB) on March 25, as the group outlined a multi‑layer program of advocacy, resilience supports and school curriculum designed to prevent and respond to bullying.

Joseph Salimoni, LICAB founder and executive director, told the board the nonprofit’s partnership with districts across Long Island delivers free wraparound services and training for students, staff and families. He said LICAB’s work includes a 1‑on‑1 hotline, referrals to mental‑health resources and curriculum development that the group tailors to participating districts.

Salimoni said proprietary survey data shared with the district showed broad exposure to bullying: “After surveying over 4,000 students grade 6 through 12, 54 percent of the kids that we met with this year have claimed they have been feeling bullied,” and he said higher rates were reported among students identifying as female or non‑binary. He described student ambassador teams that visit elementary classrooms to teach empathy and cyberbullying awareness.

Two student ambassadors, Lizzie Dione (freshman) and Sophie Jamrozek (junior), described classroom visits and younger‑grade outreach. “They can realize there’s a lot of cyberbullying in the world… they need to be careful with how they perceive others on social media,” Lizzie said. Sophie said early exposure to kindness lessons gives students skills “they can keep with them… as they go into middle school and high school.”

Board members asked how LICAB balances prevention with consequences. A trustee raised concerns about hidden or hard‑to‑detect cyberbullying and asked whether strong repercussions are part of the program. Salimoni said prevention and restorative work are core, but the training also includes discussion of the consequences students may face: “We are definitely including the repercussions that you may have to experience if you do certain things,” he said, while noting the organization emphasizes connection and education rather than punishment as the primary focus.

Trustees and administrators said the district’s existing cell‑phone policies and building‑level procedures are part of the response. The board thanked the ambassadors and LICAB for the presentation and noted follow‑up materials were available in the presentation slides for board members and staff who want details.

The presentation concluded with the board noting the program’s outreach schedule and expressing support for continuing the collaboration; trustees asked staff to coordinate any necessary next steps with LICAB and with building administrators.