Posted on 06/20/2006 5:54:24 PM PDT by lexfreedom
Lexington's school superintendent yesterday denied assertions that a first-grader was beaten up on a playground last month in retaliation for his father's campaign to stop the school from teaching his son about homosexuality. School officials, citing interviews with the children involved, said the fight actually started over where students would sit in the cafeteria and then spilled onto the playground. The student, the 7-year-old son of David Parker , who filed a federal lawsuit in April over the teaching of homosexuality in school, was punched several times during the May 17 fight. ``These were two first-graders having a child squabble on a playground," said Superintendent Paul Ash . ``Some adults are exploiting these children for political purposes." The playground fight ballooned into a School Department inquiry after a Waltham-based parents' group, MassResistance, alleged that a group of children pounced on the boy on the two-year anniversary of the legalization of gay marriage. According to school officials' investigation, one child hit Parker's son two to four times during recess, and the boy fell to his knees as about five students watched . A teacher's aide intervened. The child who hit Parker's son was sent to the assistant principal's office, where he wrote an apology and was denied recess for two days. Parker's son and the boy have since had a play date, Ash said. School officials contacted authorities, who declined to investigate, Ash said. Parker said he was unconvinced that the fight had nothing to do with the outcry. He said other students have talked to his son about the issue. Parker was arrested last year when he refused to leave Estabrook Elementary School without a guarantee that his child would not be exposed to teachings about homosexuality. In April, he filed a federal lawsuit over the issue.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
If this man truly believes this, why is his son still there?
And if I flap my arms hard enough I can fly like a bird.
Absent evidence to the contrary this seems like a schoolyard fight. My advice to Mr Parker, teach your son how to defend himself and forget the play date crap.
Play dates? Boys should have to make up by shaking hands.
The principal of the elementary school, Joni Jay, who was responsible for David Parker's arrest is moving on to another school in a neighboring town, Sudbury. The Parker's son has been called out and blamed by other students, first graders, mind-you, for the principal's departure. Who do you think is causing the teasing and taunting in the classroom other than parents who are taking out their anger on the Parkers through their own kids. Sure it might have started as a playground fight, but one that may have been escalated by kids egging each other on.
uuuuuhhhhhg. Do these people even know how gay they sound?
Is this the first time the Globe has reported on this? I wouldn't be surprised.
I think Parker makes a mistake when he doesn't teach his kid to defend himself and when he specualtes about the motives of playground fights.
Sorry, but that's the way I see it.
This little boy was assaulted by seven other boys who knocked him to the ground and then kicked him in the head, the groin area and his stomach. I grew up next town to Lexington. The gays and lesbians have taken over the town little by little over the past 10 years. I am 66 y.o. and I can't believe what is happening in MASS, and I am afraid for the first time in my life. Cambridge MA is communist and is listed as so...
More on the David Parker story.
Thanks for the ping.
Wish they would have had that punishment when i was in 1st grade. I would have beaten up a lot of girls.
It is the first Globe article I can remember AND it just seems like a rehash of information that has already been out there...
I'd argue for padded gloves and a squared circle. Nothing works better on bullies than giving one a good beating in a fair fight...
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