Teenage pop-star Justin Bieber gives a press conference before his concert as part of his "My World" tour on Tuesday April. 19, 2011 in Singapore.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)
Justin Bieber is now Nassau County’s star anti-bullying advocate.
The teen pop sensation has agreed to help in the fight against cyberbullying and sexting in a public service announcement that will appear in Nassau County schools, the district attorney’s office said on Friday.
The 17-year-old star agreed to record the public service announcement in order to resolve misdemeanor charges filed against one of his managers and record label, after an incident in 2009, that brought thousands of unruly Bieber fans to Roosevelt Field mall for a chance to meet the singer.
Bieber’s record label, Island Def Jam Record Music Group, and his management company, Remster 3, pleaded guilty Friday morning to violating Nassau County Fire Prevention Ordinances, the district attorney’s office said in a statement. The case against James Roppo, a senior vice president of IDJ, and Scott “Scooter” Braun, Bieber’s manager, were dismissed based on the guilty pleas taken by the companies.
The public service announcement will be shown in Nassau County middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools. Prosecutors will make it available to schools outside of Nassau County as well.
“This public service announcement will be a valuable tool for parents, educators, and law enforcement efforts to combat cyber-bullying and sexting, while encouraging young people to use the internet responsibly,” District Attorney Kathleen Rice said in the statement.
In November 2009, Bieber’s autograph signing with fans quickly turned hazardous after more than 3,000 fans flooded the parking garage staging area three hours before his scheduled appearance at the clothing store, Justice, in the Garden City mall.
After police received 911 calls regarding the crowd, Nassau County police and mall security decided that the event should be cancelled. Police efforts to disperse the crowed were “hindered,” Rice said, after a tweet was sent out from Bieber’s twitter account that read: “On my way to Roosevelt Field Mall in Long Island, NY to sign and meet fans! I’m pumped. See u there.”
About an hour before the event was scheduled to start, police requested that a tweet to Bieber’s fans announcing the cancellation of the event should be sent out. But IDJ employees were unable to send out a tweet because Braun had changed the account’s password, according to the statement. A half hour later, Braun’s company sent out two tweets announcing the event had been cancelled, and within 15 minutes the crowd began to disperse, the statement said.
Braun created a dangerous safety situation using Twitter, Rice said in the statement, and this is “unique opportunity to use the internet, social media, and Justin Bieber’s star power to help make our communities safer.”
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