By Andy Heintzelman
Lisa LaForme has gotten a few strange looks as she walks the halls of local high schools, but that's OK. She wants to be noticed.
The Trevorton woman is intent on spreading a message about the consequences of bullying, especially cyber-bullying, which is blamed in the suicide of her foster daughter, Britney Tongel, who was found dead in her bedroom on the morning of Feb. 16.
Over the past month, LaForme has been to Berwick, Danville, Mount Carmel Area, Shikellamy and even Line Mountain, where Britney was a sophomore at the time of her death. She is typically escorted, per school policy, but she said the reception has been mostly positive.
What is she trying to accomplish?
"I want them to remember Britney. I want them to remember the circumstances of her death. And I want them to stop bullying," she said.
She said if a bully sees her that day, and decides they won't act as they normally would, that's a victory.
"If I can get one to stop, then another, then another â¦," LaForme said.
She says many people tell her how bullying has always existed, but she doesn't believe it has to be that way. Also, she said, it's reached a crisis point, noting not only her daughter's death, but those of young people nationwide, particularly related to cyber-bullying.
Satisfying visit to MCA
LaForme said she made a special connection at Mount Carmel Area (MCA), and those at the school say the feeling is mutual.
LaForme first dropped by unannounced to present one of her Britney memorial fundraising T-shirts to Ashley Stief, winner of the school's anti-bullying T-shirt contest, which LaForme had read about in the newspaper. Also, the school's anti-bullying committee had already sent the family sympathy cards after Britney's death.
After that, the administration decided to reach out to LaForme and invite her back to address the student body, both as a lesson for the students, but also to recognize that their previous efforts with the sympathy cards had made an impact.
MCA has anti-bullying sessions every two weeks, but usually in individual classrooms. For LaForme's visit, she addressed the assembled student body.
"I do think she had a very positive influence," said Donna Veach, junior high school principal. "A lot of what she said I think the kids did really relate to."
LaForme noted many students gave her a hug after her speech, and she said one girl promised to go room-to-room and "spread Britney's love."
"To me, that was tremendous. It was really fantastic," LaForme said.
At Danville, she noted a wall in the cafeteria where students sign an oath of responsibility. "It's so impressive," LaForme said.
On the evening of April 19, she was at Berwick High School - Britney had once attended school there - and sat in on a bullying assembly.
"I couldn't sit through the whole presentation," she said. "It really, really hit me."
Still, the next morning, she walked the halls of the high school and elementary school in that Luzerne County community.
Connect to students
LaForme said she has spent much time since Britney's death addressing parents, but decided to switch her focus to students.
"We need to effect these children," she said. "At high school age, they need to know. I tell them exactly what I found that morning."