Dianne Grossman presents her story at the convention and gains more support for Mallory’ s Army n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
2018 NJSPBA Mini-Convention
Addressing cyberbullying
Dianne Grossman presents her story at the convention and gains more support for Mallory’ s Army n BY AMBER RAMUNDO
Dianne Grossman defines herself in many ways. She’ s a mother, a wife, a local business owner and a New Jersey resident with southern roots. But on June 14, 2017, Grossman became someone that every first responder knows: The voice on the other end of the 911 call.
“ I am who you protect and serve,” Grossman announced to the room full of NJ State PBA Mini Convention attendees.“ I hope you are able to define who you are through my story.”
Grossman looked gallantly into the crowd of members before stating the single defining fact that connected the room to her story:“ I am Mallory’ s mom.” Who is Mallory? Grossman described her daughter as a good student, a cheerleader, a rule follower, an all-American girl.
Dianne and her husband, Seth, encouraged Mallory’ s big heart and did everything they could to give her a happy, normal childhood. But on June 13, 2017, Mallory’ s cheerful manner and buoyant spirit didn’ t come home from school with her.
She couldn’ t hide the hurt any more. Mallory broke down and told her family everything: the name calling, the exclusion and the alienation she was receiving every day from a group of girls who decided that they didn’ t want to be her friend.
“ What we failed to do was protect our daughter from the hate in her school hallways- her living hell,” Dianne described as she fought back tears that also welled up in the PBA members listening.
But it wasn’ t just in the school building that the cruelty haunted Mallory. The hateful messages continued when she scrolled through her social media accounts to read posts like“ You’ re pathetic” and chilling questions like“ When are you going to kill yourself?”
The morning after her daughter’ s confession, Dianne and Seth went directly to Mallory’ s school, as they had done multiple times before, to confront the administration.
“ Unfortunately, what I did not know was that it was too late,” Dianne uttered.
Dianne Grossman received a standing ovation from PBA members after sharing the tragic story of losing her daughter to bullying.
“ My 12-year-old healthy, beautiful little girl ended her pain because she didn’ t feel like the adults in her life could.”
Dianne couldn’ t make sense of her daughter’ s suicide. She was haunted by questions. How would a 12-year-old know how to take her own life? But beyond the confusion and harrowing grief, Dianne felt a call to action and a duty to lead a legacy for change.
“ My daughter is your daughter,” Dianne stressed.“ I know this because I saw the face of the detectives who watched me learn that my daughter had died. I saw that they saw their daughter. And they knew.”
She saw that familiar look of ownership and responsibility in the eyes of the PBA members in the crowd and took that moment to ask each of them to join Mallory’ s Army, a charitable foundation that she created to fight bullying.
“ I am asking all of you to be who you want to be. I am asking you today to define your‘ I am,’” Dianne urged.“ I am asking you to enlist in Mallory’ s Army, because our blood runs blue, too.”
The invitation for members to enlist in Mallory’ s Army signaled a standing ovation and booming applause from the audience that accentuated the PBA’ s non-verbal commitment to the cause. The boisterous response from the crowd was suddenly interrupted by State Corrections Local 105 President Brian Renshaw, who tapped purposefully on one of
Grossman embraces State Corrections Local 105 President Brian Renshaw to thank him for the Local’ s spontaneous donation of $ 5,000 to Mallory’ s Army following Grossman’ s moving speech. the crowd microphones.
“ Excuse me, over here,” Renshaw spoke from the audience.“ On behalf of State Corrections and Juvenile Justice, we would like to donate $ 5,000 to your foundation.”
The Local 105 donation was added to by the dozens of Mallory’ s Army merchandise purchases PBA members made. Apparently, they were more than inspired to help the Grossman’ s blue-out bullying by buying into the cause.
By the end of the convention, several other organizations, including the FMBA, pledged donations to Mallory’ s Army, which is growing by thousands with the help of the NJ State PBA. d
48 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2018