Replies

It's a leap.

Really?

1) Car drives up to your kid, says that he is a friend of the family. Then he rattles off the above information to prove it. How many times more likely is your kid going to be to climb into the car with that person.

2) If you let your child answer this questionaire have you passively set a precedent for further questioning.

3) Would you like your kid to be graded based on answering questions of a personal nature. If you do not say "NO" to this what else won't you be able to say "NO" to in the future.

4) If the police were asking your child these and other questions at what point would you say, "Sorry, you are conducting an illegal interview without a parent present. Give me my child and get a search warrant if you want such information".

5) If you passively give consent now at what point in the future will you be denied the right to plead the fifth in a trial if such questioning provides information leading to a charge?

Come on people, you can do better than this.

Here is my response since I think the rest of you may be too chicken to say what you think to these people.

August 9^th, 2002

Glen Marlow Administration

Glen Marlow Elementary School

Henderson County, N.C.

To Ms. Brittain:

This letter is written in regards to the homework assignment given on August 8^th, 2002, entitled MY ROOM.

Please be advised that (daughter's name) has been given the strictest of direction not to give out any information relevant to the contents of our home or that, which pertains to our personal life. Dissemination of such material is solely at my discretion.

This assignment is forbidden in this family and will not be handed in. I am confident you are intelligent enough to find a working alternative.

The last thing I need is any person in possession of information, which can be used to:

Allow another person to readily represent themselves as a friend of the family for purposes of assault, extortion, or kidnapping of a loved one.
Give entrance points to my daughter’s room.
Give a schematic of room interior.
Give information allowing the theft of sensitive data or personal belongings.
Cause physical, mental or financial harm to my family.

If you think I am "off base" on this matter, I have a homework assignment for the entire staff at Glen Marlow:

Give me your full name.
Give me your address.
Give me your home phone.
Give me your work phone.
Give me you Social Security Number.
Give me the number of windows to your bedroom.
Give me an inventory of what you have in your bedroom.
Give me a rundown of the most valuable commodities you like in your bedroom.
Now draw me a schematic of your bedroom and hand it over.

This information is such that the police department cannot get it without a criminal investigation and a search warrant. Similar information was requested by the United States Census and I denied it directly to the census taker in person. He had no say in the matter since it is our right, under law, not to answer all but the first four questions on the census. No government official has the right to this information unless I choose to allow it, which I don’t.

It is unfortunate that the Henderson County School Board has not properly screened these assignments in such a manner as to remove them from civil liability. Because I have decided to object to this unwarranted questioning of my daughter, my wife is now in fear that (daughter's name) will not receive equal treatment in class. My child has been presented with a scenario where she cannot trust you as a teacher and I have instructed her to this effect.

Can you image for, one second, the alarm that I had when I found out that my child’s room was being inventoried for the school system? This seriously reaches into our private life and I am retaining this assignment for future legal action should it become necessary.

May I make this as clear as possible so there will be no future misunderstandings.

It is the job of the Henderson County School Board to make sure my child is properly educated. That is it, period, and end of discussion.
It is NOT the school’s business to involve themselves with our personal belongings or property.
It is NOT the schools job to create conflict in my family.
It is NOT the schools responsibility to pry into our private lives.
You, and any other official, are NOT allowed to question or interview my daughter about any nonacademic activity without me being present. That's the law.

As one professional to another I expect my rights as a parent to be respected. I trust that you will bring this matter up with other teachers for discussion so that you may protect yourselves from further aggravation and possible liability problems. I further suggest you put this assignment, and this letter, before the school board attorney and let him chew on it a while. Your curriculum should never be allowed to put you in this position. If I were in your position I would lodge a formal complaint and use this letter as proof to make your argument and cover your back. But that’s just me. My response is not personal and you may show this, copy it, or give it to anyone who wishes to see it.

If you need me to back you up, I will. If you want me to help review your curriculum from the prospective of a system analyst I will. All you, and the staff, have to do is ask. I will volunteer my time, and show you trouble spots, as a person that routinely does post doctorate level research.

I will closely monitor all of (daughter's name) homework from here on. My horror at the sight of this assignment required my immediate attention such that this, or any other assignment like it, should never be allowed to happen again.

I hope that you do not take this personally or take offense to any degree, or level, even close to the offense and contempt that I view this assignment. I recognize the selection of topic is probably not your choice but some lame bureaucrats stupidity to try and draw a lawsuit.

Sincerely,

__________________________________

Douglas R. Griffin

System Analyst/Medical Researcher

Sub-acute Chronic Stealth Infection Theory and Population Studies