CircleUp Middle Peninsula will host a virtual panel discussion on “Hate Groups and Hate Crimes in Virginia” will a special focus on the Middle Peninsula, from 7-8:30 p.m. next Thursday, May 13.

Three panelists will participate in the discussion. They are: Dr. James Nolan, chair of the Sociology and Anthropology Department at West Virginia University; Mathews County Commonwealth’s Attorney Tom Bowen, and Gabriel “Gabe” Morgan Sr., who is currently serving his fourth term as Sheriff of Newport News.

Nolan will discuss the causes and consequences of hate-motivated violence and the reasons we have not always been effective in stopping it. Bowen will discuss what legally constitutes a hate crime in Virginia, recent updates to hate crime laws, and how individuals charged with hate crimes can be prosecuted. Morgan will discuss the challenges faced by law enforcement officers when responding to possible hate crime situations and the strategies they use to counteract them.

This event ...