Arrested father had point to make Disputed school's lesson on "diversity"

Boston Globe ^ | April 29, 2005 | By Maria Cramer and Ralph Ranalli

[ninonitti]

CONCORD -- For David Parker, the first alarm went off in January, when his 5-year-old son came home from his kindergarten class at Lexington's Joseph Estabrook School with a bag of books promoting diversity. Inside were books about foreign cultures and traditions, along with food recipes. There was also a copy of ''Who's In a Family?" by Robert Skutch, which depicts different kinds of families, including same-sex couples raising children. The book's contents concerned Parker and prompted him to begin a series of e-mail exchanges with school officials on the subject that culminated in a meeting Wednesday night with Estabrook's principal and district director of instruction. The meeting ended with Parker's arrest after he refused to leave the school, and the Lexington man spent the night in jail. Yesterday, Parker was arraigned in Concord District Court on one count of trespassing, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf. Bail was set at $1,000, and Parker was freed after being ordered to stay off Lexington school property. He is due back in court June 1. Parker and his wife, Tonia, 34, who was also in court yesterday, said the dispute arose because they asked school officials to notify them about classroom discussions about same-sex marriage and what they called other adult themes. They also wanted the option to exclude their boy, now 6, from those talks. Parker said he met with school officials to gain those assurances and then refused to leave until he got them.

[maryz]

The father was asked why he didn't sent his son to private school. He pointed out that he is paying Lexington property taxes (undoubtedly sky high) and he shouldn't have to.

[maryz]

Do you have a link to the e-mail exchange?

[ladyjane]

Only in Massachusetts would nursery school children be Ordered to lick condoms by a (South African, New York Times-annointed) Supreme Court Judge, as the Attorney General (Reilly, really) refuses to indict traffickers of children-for-rape because Reilly 'knows they are ok' (having traveled with some of the perps to Poland). "

Could you elaborate?

[longtermmemmory]

Give us your money and do makes us earn it.

The father has a right to remove his child.

The test must be on the PARENTS OF THE CHILD, adopting mandatory homosexuality is no different than the government adopting a mandatory religion.

[12B]

email exchange is lower on page

[maryz]

Thanks.

[Wallace T.]

Some years ago, various court decisions and acts of Congress and the legislatures weakened the so-called corporate veil, making corporate directors, officers, and employees civilly and criminally liable for acts done in the name of corporations. The veil protecting civil servants (and police officers are civil servants) from the consequences for their actions needs to be removed as well. The police officers who guarded Terri Schiavo's death chamber (laughingly called a hospice) share in the guilt of Greer, Felos, and Michael Schiavo. So do the social services bureaucrats who did too little too late. It is past time social workers, police officers, building inspectors, code enforcement officers, etc., suffered the consequences of abusing their power and enforcing unjust laws.

Internal investigations by these agencies are little more than a joke. They may ferret out some personnel who steal state property and abuse their time. However, their abuse of the public usually goes unchallenged.

The liberals constantly call for corporate accountability. What is really needed is public sector accountability. If that were the case, the lesbian Marxists who become social workers and the schoolyard bullies who become LEOs may be less likely to run roughshod over individual rights.

[12B]

OK. The cops get a call. The guy is on school property and refuses to leave. They talk to him for two hours. He still won't leave.

You want to tell me what "unjust law" is being enforced here?

He wanted to get arrested to publicize his cause. Fine and dandy. He got what he wanted. So what's your beef with the cops? He was trespassing, he was removed.

[OKIEDOC]

However, they should not have to withdraw him from school.

The word liberal is a misnomer.

Liberals don't want diversity of opinion they only want it their way.

What the hell is happening in our schools.

Teachers are committing rape against little boys, teaching perverted marriage and safe ways to have sex.

The skools of today are like the Opium Dens of the 1800,s.

Only more dangerous.

[longtermmemmory]

The Agreement: Deceitful tactic by school officials?
Near end of meeting school officials negotiated an agreement with parent, then superintendent refused to sign it; had parent arrested instead.
As the meeting seemed at a stalemate, the Principal and Director of Education seemed to changed course. Although they had claimed they "did not have the authority" to allow David Parker's to be informed when his 6-year-old son was exposed to discussions of homosexuality, they suggested that the Superintendent did have the authority to agree -- at least until the full process of appealing to the School Committee went through.
So they had David hand-write an agreement, which they discussed with Superintendent William Hurley over the telephone, and then faxed to him. Dave was led to believe that Hurley was going to sign this - but instead he called back saying he rejected it, and they decided to have Dave arrested for trespassing.
The whole thing appears to have been a strange tactic to break down David Parker's resolve and have him finally give up and leave.

The "agreement":

We, Tonia and David Parker, are once again requesting that we be notified when gay headed households/same sex union/transgender/bisexual issues are exposed to our child at Estabrook when teachers/staff/adults partake in these discussions.

The undersigned, Superintendent of the Lexington Public Schools, agrees that we will not only be notified when these discussions are planned but in addition agrees to an automatic opt out for our child when such discussions arise spontaneously to be enforced by those in authoritative control. Accordingly key teachers and staff must be notified (those that have authoritative control over our son at Estabrook) so that these accommodations may be implemented.

http://www.article8.org/docs/news_events/parker/agreement.htm

[longtermmemmory]

Parkers to Principal:

Date: Friday, March 4, 2005
Subject: David and Tonia Parker's Parental Rights Assertion

We would like to clarify that our previous e-mail which states: "we do not give the Lexington Public School system permission to discuss homosexuality issues (i.e. - trans gender/bisexual/gay headed households) to our son [son's name]" - is a parental assertion; not a matter open to legal interpretation or administrative policy. Let us, David and Tonia Parker, parents of [son's name], be clear in purpose and prose on this matter:

Discussions concerning homosexuality issues will not take place in front of our son, [son's name] (5 yrs old), at Estabrook. This includes material given to [our son] to covertly transport into our household (i.e.- diversity book bag). Such doctrine is against our Christian family beliefs. We will be notified when there are plans to have homosexual material discussed with the students - when [our son] is present - so that we can take action to ensure his spiritual safety. You are not permitted to infringe upon our religious beliefs and parental rights or obviate our freedom of choice, to exclude our son from material that would expose him to beliefs contrary to the Word of God in our Christian faith. Our parental rights and Christian belief system will be respected in this diversity- oriented, anti-biased school community. We know other parents, of various faiths and values, that endorse this position. This is not solely a Christian assertion of rights.

May God bless everyone who reads this to be shown his Love and truth of his Word.

In Christ,
Dave and Tonia Parker

PS- It is requisite that our assertion of rights be documented to teacher/staff; since, there were previous examples of less than adequate communication within the Lexington School system.

Principal's reply to Parkers:

Date: Monday, March 28, 2005
Subject: Re: David and Tonia Parker's Parental Rights Assertion

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Parker,

I just wanted to let you know that I did receive this email.

Thanks.

Joni Jay
Principal, Estabrook School


http://www.article8.org/docs/news_events/parker/timeline_events.htm

[OKIEDOC]

Problem is perverted same sex couples can not copulate and have children in marriage.

So the book is wrong.

What percentage of same sex couple have born children out of their relationship.

[12B]

In fairness maybe you should print all the emails. Even though I don't agree with the school's policies here, the first couple of emails from her were courteous, professional, and she offered multiple chances to set up a meeting.

You have only printed the third reply from her at which point I'm sure she was pretty fed up. She made dates and times available to the parents and instead of taking her up on her offer, they answered with harangues.

Print the entire exchange instead of taking bits out of context.

[OKIEDOC]

Good Comment.

The only way you affect mind changes in these liberal elite papers is to hurt them financially.

However, the LA and New York Slimes loses circulation and blames it on changing habits in the way people get their news.

[longtermmemmory]

Last time I printed a longer exchange some were upset over the length. I did include the link but legally speaking, the fact they explicitly stated they did not want their child exposed to homosexuality should have ended it period in their favor.

I think this principle has recieved marching orders to keep to the propaganda point that homosexuals are not "sexual" when presented next to normal families.

The question is whether the mother and father will be the arbitors of what is reasonable. A reasonable person would expect to be informed when homosexuality is being taught in school.

[12B]

I think I agree with you on hat the parents should get. I also think the parents behaved like asses.

[Ghost of Philip Marlowe]

Which red state? And are you in an urban or rural area?

We're set to move in a year and I'm having a tough time determining a destination. I won't live in another Marxist city like Seattle ever again.

[longtermmemmory]

would not be the first *ss the principle has had to deal with.

These books will become the new "heather has two momies" which are poison.

Odd how the MSM has not picked this up.

[Wallace T.]

I am not singling out police officers, but all civil servants who are "just following orders." LEOs are not essentially any different from public school teachers, highway maintenance crew members, park rangers, and hundreds of other types of government workers. They are all civil servants. All of them are overly protected from the consequences of their actions, more so than private sector employees and managers. This needs to change.

[12B]

Sorry, but this is really straight forward. They got a trespassing complaint. They tried for two hours to get the guy to leave. He wouldn't leave so they carted him off.

The LEOs here have done absolutely nothing wrong.