October 21, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 21, 2015
For additional information:
Natalie Bailey
Moxley Carmichael
(865) 599-4051
The South College Criminal Justice and Legal Studies programs will host a free symposium Wednesday, Oct. 28, to help educate the community on how to prevent and overcome domestic violence.
The event, which is open to the public, will be held at the college’s West Campus, 400 Goody’s Lane, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
The event was designed to honor the memory of Angela Burchell, a South College 2014 graduate whose estranged husband has been charged in her shooting death.
“We have invited leaders from our community to explore and discuss the impact of domestic violence in East Tennessee and to consider measures that we, as community members, can take to support victims,” said Jennifer Jenkins, dean of the South College School of Legal Studies.
The event will begin with an informational fair at 5:30 p.m. Participants include:
- Sexual Assault Center of East Tennessee
- Family Crisis Center
- YWCA of Knoxville
- The Next Door
- The Knoxville Bar Association
Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch; Knox County 4th Circuit Court Judge Greg McMillan; Knox County Assistant District Attorney Deborah Malone; Alle Lilly, executive director of the YWCA; and Amy Canfield, program manager for the Helen Ross McNabb Center, will participate in a panel at 6 p.m. in the auditorium.
The panel will be moderated by Dr. Jodi Rightler-McDaniels, General Studies Department chair at South College. Topics will include various facets of the system that assist domestic violence victims, including judicial, law enforcement and social service agencies. National and local trends also will be discussed.
“Through this panel, we hope to enlighten the audience on the efforts of practitioners in our area and the processes involved,” Jenkins added. “We will look at what is working, where the system can improve and how the community can help.”
At the conclusion of the panel, a candlelight vigil will be held in honor of Angela Burchell, who was shot and killed in a domestic incident in Sevier County in 2014, and all victims of domestic violence.
About South College
South College is a private institution accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to offer programs at the doctorate, master’s, baccalaureate, and associate levels. To learn more about South College, visit http://www.southcollegetn.edu.
