Haskell County proclaims October Domestic Violence Awareness Month

McKinley Grama of the Cowboy Domestic Violence Program read a proclamation and asked the board to declare October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Haskell County, citing prevalence figures included in the text: "whereas 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been physically abused by an intimate partner" and that "1 in 15 children are exposed to intimate partner violence in the home each year." Grama identified program staff Bethany Seiler and Amy Schiller and described outreach and education as central to reducing violence.

An unidentified member of the meeting asked for a motion to approve the proclamation; the board moved to approve the declaration and commissioners agreed to a photo opportunity at or in front of the courthouse. The proclamation concluded with the reading: "I do hereby proclaim October as domestic violence awareness month in Haskell County." Roll-call confirmation of approval followed and was recorded by members present.

The proclamation text recorded several findings intended to justify the declaration, including statements that domestic violence crosses economic, racial, gender, educational, religious and societal barriers and that community education can promote a zero-tolerance stance. The presenters encouraged local awareness and noted available resources, and the board did not register opposition during the vote.

Next steps noted during the meeting included arranging the public reading/photo and ensuring the proclamation will be filed with county records. The meeting moved on to other agenda items following approval.