Refusing to Keep Silent Over a 'Dirty Secret'

Tanya Brown

Tanya Brown knows where a domestic dispute boils over into something more. The sister of Nicole Brown Simpson, who was brutally murdered by her famous ex-husband, has made her life mission making others recognize where anger and emotion cross a line into abusive behavior.

Brown will share her expertise on a topic that remains behind closed doors during a free 7 p.m. talk May 8 at the Woman's Club, 286 St. Ann's Drive.

The public is invited to attend the three-part speaker series during May and June, organized by Woman's Club members and co-sponsored by The Independent.

Brown will be joined for the talk by Laguna Beach Police OfficerJason Ferris, who will be available to take questions on the approach of Laguna police when responding to domestic abuse calls.

On May 22, Ken Middleton will tackle another hidden topic declared an epidemic by the National Institute of Health: suicide. Based on statistics compiled by the county coroner, Laguna Beach's effective suicide rate was more than twice the state average of 9.4 per 100,000 people in both 2006 and 2005, the most recent statistics available.

A psychologist, Middleton, of Mission Viejo, provides suicide prevention training and counsels about its aftermath with border patrol and customs agents. He serves as the critical incident response coordinator for Health and Human Services Group, also of Mission Viejo, which provides psychological services under contract to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other government agencies.

"It isn't death they're seeking," Middleton explained of suicide victims. "People who kill themselves have real pain; they want a way out of pain." He promises to challenge his audience to put aside their fears about a taboo subject to aid those exhibiting suicidal behavior. "Do you dare listen to the hard questions and become a partner?" Middleton promised he will ask listeners.

Closing the series on June 12 will be Mary Pat Kelly, an Internet child safety investigator from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. She will discuss the importance of parents monitoring their children's use of the Internet and the danger of Internet predators.

For Brown, the youngest of four sisters, the discovery of her sister's death on June 12, 1994, changed her own life forever. During her sister's marriage to former football great O.J. Simpson, which included residing briefly in Laguna Beach, Nicole had documented 17 years of emotional and physical abuse, which was discovered secured in a safety deposit box along with photos of a battered face and body. As a result of these horrific events, Tanya and her family were approached by a local shelter, which urged the entire family to educate themselves on this life-threatening epidemic.

Now, motivated by the wish to help others, Tanya Brown and her family established The Nicole Brown Foundation, based in Dana Point, which helps to educate the community on what she describes as "the dirty little secret" of domestic violence and emotional abuse.

Please RSVP to 497-9490 to attend the talks.