The mother of Amanda Todd, the teen who committed suicide last month after being tormented online, is upset she wasn’t invited to attend B.C.’s anti-bullying conference Tuesday.
Carol Todd tweeted she was “very upset” she was shut out of the invitation-only ERASE Bullying summit, a forum that was inspired by her daughter’s tragic death.
“They thought my presence might upset some of the students present. That's the perception I got,” Todd tweeted Tuesday.
Todd said it was a shame she was excluded from the forum, asking "is that form of bullying?"
Premier Christy Clark told reporters Amanda’s story was one of the reasons for the conference and people should learn from her tragic death.
“That’s one of the reasons I brought this together today. It’s what they call a teachable moment – we’re all thinking about bullying as a society and what we can do. That’s the time to come together and really start being creative,” Clark said.
During the day-long forum, the provincial government unveiled a website that allows people to report bullying anonymously to school administrators.
The online tool allows victims to record what happened, and whether they want school officials to contact them.
A day after the ERASE Bullying summit, the B.C. government announced they are offering up to $1 million to groups that need money to fight bullying.
The government says the money -- which was seized from the proceeds of crime -- is available to schools, police agencies and community groups.
In addition to anti-bullying programs, the government says the proceeds of crime grants can also be used for projects aimed at preventing family violence, violence against women, and stopping young people from drifting into crime.
A memorial for Amanda will be held on Sunday at the Red Robinson Theatre in Coquitlam. Guests who would like to attend the event, called a Celebration of Life and Happy Birthday, must register online.
Attendees are asked to bring an unwrapped toy for donation to Share Family and Community Services.
An anti-bullying campaign is also being launched in Todd's hometown of Port Coquitlam starting on Nov. 27, the deceased teen's birthday.
