On September 15, Bishop’s alumni, Marianna Pecora (‘22), appeared to be kicked by member of Congress Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Pecora is a freshman at George Washington University and is the Deputy Communications Director of Voters of Tomorrow: “an organization dedicated to engaging, educating, and representing Gen Z in politics and government,” stated Pecora.

The Voters of Tomorrow team was on Capitol Hill for the entire week meeting with congressional offices from both parties. According to Pecora, their meeting goals included advocating for sets of policies that are broadly supported by Gen Z voters. “We developed our platform by polling samples representative of young voters and took it to D.C. to ask members of Congress for their support.”

Pecora and other Voters of Tomorrow members found themselves in a group talking to Greene. Speaking with The Washington Post, Pecora claims they were “having what [she] would consider to be a pretty respectful conversation with [Greene].” In order to ask her a question, Pecora decided to cross in front of Greene, having the chance to ask her the question, “how does the second amendment prevent gun violence?”

In response, the video shows Greene using a kicking motion towards Pecora’s feet, two to three times. Pecora was left in shock, saying “Oh my God!” with her hand covering her surprised face.

Video: https://twitter.com/MariannaPecora/status/1570551976555081728

The video, which now has 2.2 million views, took people by a storm, with many users commenting and agreeing that Greene assaulted Pecora. One public user, by the name Alane Yo, comments, “That was battery. I hope you sue Taylor Greene.”

“I’m definitely having an interesting time dealing with the aftermath,” reflects Pecora. “People around my dorm who I haven’t met have recognized me and family and friends have found the story without hearing about it from me,” she added. Aside from her recent fame, Pecora still finds “a member of Congress kicking an 18 year old is unacceptable and I feel a responsibility to not allow this to go unnoticed.”

As of right now, Voters of Tomorrow are trying their best to move forward. “A lot of people want to know if I plan on pressing charges. The Voters of Tomorrow team and I are consulting with our lawyers and keeping our options open,” stated Pecora. Rep. Greene’s Communications Director, Nick Dyer, has claimed Pecora’s accusations to be completely false and “absolutely ridiculous.”

Pecora leaves Gen Z with words of advice; “don’t get into politics because you want to be powerful, get into politics because you care about something that’s wrong and you think you can fix it.”