88R30536 EME-D
By: Talarico H.R. No. 2014
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Two decades have passed since the tragic death of
Ortralla Mosley, and her mother, Carolyn White-Mosley, has since
done extraordinary work to prevent other families from suffering
the loss of a loved one to teen dating violence; and
WHEREAS, Ortralla Mosley was only 15 years old when she lost
her life on May 28, 2003, at the hands of her ex-boyfriend; her
death left a deep void in the lives of her family and friends, and in
the midst of tremendous grief, Ms. White-Mosley dedicated herself
to honoring her daughter's memory and becoming a catalyst for
change; she began working with a community safety task force to
recommend safety measures to the Austin Independent School
District, which led to the development of the first policies to
prevent teen dating violence in the state of Texas; and
WHEREAS, Ortralla Mosley's story inspired the creation of the
Texas Advocacy Project's Teen Justice Initiative, which provides
free legal services to students experiencing dating violence, and
the passage of House Bill 121 by the 80th Texas Legislature, which
requires all school districts in the state to adopt dating violence
policies like those developed by Austin ISD; this groundbreaking
piece of legislation has since served as a model for laws in other
states; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, Carolyn White-Mosley joined together with a
group of young activists, including her daughter's friend RaeAnne
Spence, to advocate for the establishment of February as National
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month;
Ms. White-Mosley continued to push for legislative action on the
issue, and in 2013, she met with then-Vice President Joe Biden to
support the inclusion of language addressing teen violence in the
Violence Against Women Act; recently, she has remained active in
her community by overseeing afterschool programs for youth; and
WHEREAS, Carolyn White-Mosley has demonstrated an unwavering
commitment to building a future where all young people are safe,
secure, and free from fear and abuse, and she has touched the lives
of countless people through her tireless dedication to this
important cause; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby honor Carolyn White-Mosley for her efforts to
end teen dating violence and pay tribute to the legacy of her
daughter, Ortralla Mosley, on the 20th anniversary of her death;
and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Ms. White-Mosley as an expression of high regard by
the Texas House of Representatives.