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"He was quiet." "He got picked on a lot." "He was bullied."

The student shot by a deputy during yesterday's standoff at Milwee Middle School is still on advanced life support. Late last night, more details began to emerge as to what may have led to this tragedy. Media interviews with Chris Penley's classmates at Milwee Middle School all had the same theme: "He was quiet." "He got picked on a lot."

These comments are all too familiar to Brent Scarpo, a former Hollywood actor and casting director (credits include The Shawshank Redemption, Air Force One) whose award-winning documentary Journey to a Hate Free Millennium explores the issues of hate and student violence.

Brent has traveled the world working with students, teachers, faculty and administrators trying to understand the root causes of student violence and find ways to prevent it. He has worked with juveniles incarcerated for hate crimes. He has been in war-torn foreign countries and still believes "the most dangerous places in our world are the halls of a high school."

Long before Brent became a client, I was helping him get his message out. I have seen Brent's presentation too many times to count yet continue to marvel at his gift for opening the channels of communication between students and faculty. I still get emotional when I watch Journey (even though I've seen it dozens of times) and his new program, Why Do You Hate Me? is just as compelling.

I have been with Brent when students thank him for giving them the non-violent tools to handle bullies they have feared for years. I have cried with him when a student suddenly realizes her actions toward another student have been that of a bully and she asks us to help her repair the damage she believes she has done. Nothing is more powerful than watching a student truly "get it" and want to put a stop to the violence.

It's not often a speaker can transcend boundaries and inspire any age groups, but the subjects of hate and violence affect all of us, regardless of age, race, sex, or socio-economic background. Brent can. And he does.

If you are interested in bringing Brent to your community, school or organization, call me. It will be one of the best programs you ever see.

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