Cynthia Deitle is the Matthew Shepard Foundation’s Director of Civil Rights Reform. She joined the foundation, which was founded by Judy and Dennis Shepard after the murder of their son, a gay college student, in 2017 following a two-decade career at the FBI. Cynthia held a variety of positions within the bureau, in a number of different regions, investigating hate crimes, working with victims, and strengthening relationships between law enforcement agencies and their communities.

Cynthia travels the country to conduct special trainings for police departments and sheriff’s offices about how to better respond to hate crimes and support victims. She was in Chattanooga as the second speaker in our ongoing Pivot Point policy forum series, and her conversation covered a lot of topics, including the sometimes tense relationships between local agencies and the federal governments in how they work together to combat hate in our communities.

Referenced in this episode:

“10th Anniversary of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act.” The Justice Department, October 17, 2019.

"Hate Crime & Discrimination in Chattanooga: A Preliminary Assessment of Data and a Proposed Law Enforcement Response." The Mayor's Council Against Hate, February 2020.