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Lexington - Last month the Lexington Public Schools unveiled a formalized diversity curriculum to be rolled out next year, when four to five short units will be piloted in each elementary grade. The curriculum, according to schools Superintendent Paul Ash, will include books, materials, and discussion points that “help children feel welcome and allow them to talk about their families and the families of their friends.” It includes units focusing on families of other races and lifestyles, but the most controversial element is the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual families.In our highly unscientific poll last week, we asked...

Lexington superintendent threatened by radio host By Ian B. Murphy and Bryan Mahoney/Staff Writers Mon Apr 07, 2008, 12:12 PM EDT Lexington - Lexington - Lexington superintendent Paul Ash has been threatened by a New Jersey radio host urging listeners to “use threats and violence” against Ash for the school district’s new diversity curriculum. Web radio host Hal Turner, a white supremacist whose show is broadcast at www.halturnershow.com, says on his site he “advocate[s] parents using FORCE AND VIOLENCE against Superintendent Paul B. Ash as a method of defending the health and safety of school children presently being endangered through...

Radio Host Threatens Lexington Superintendent Reporting Paul Burton LEXINGTON, Mass. (WBZ) ― An Internet radio talk show host based out of New Jersey has threatened the superintendent of schools in Lexington over the new diversity curriculum in town. He is urging listeners and readers of his Web site to use force and violence against Paul Ash. "I'm horrified of this particular Web site," Ash told WBZ. "Certainly I'm disturbed that there's threatening language in there." The controversy stems from the new diversity curriculum the superintendent will introduce to his kindergarten through fifth grade students next year. The lessons deal with...

Muslims' fury forces schools to shelve anti-homophobia storybooks for 5-year-olds By LAURA CLARK - More by this author » Last updated at 08:45am on 2nd April 2008 Two primary schools have withdrawn storybooks about same-sex relationships after objections from Muslim parents. Up to 90 gathered at the schools to complain about the books which are aimed at pupils as young as five. One story, titled King & King, is a fairytale about a prince who turns down three princesses before marrying one of their brothers. Scroll down for more... Withdrawn: The fairytale King and King and Tango Makes Three Another...

Our Schools: A commitment to including everyone By Paul B. Ash/Lexington school s superintendent Thu Apr 03, 2008, 06:08 AM EDT Lexington - What does it mean for a school system to be inclusive? Educators have used this term for decades to talk about the ways we need to include students who have historically been disenfranchised, such as students with physical, emotional, or cognitive disabilities. This article highlights our ongoing commitment to diversity and to developing a curriculum that includes the many faces and backgrounds of all students in our community. We know that children must feel safe and welcome...

Lexington - On Jan. 31 a three-judge panel upheld the dismissal of the case involving two families who sued the Lexington school district after their children were shown books at school depicting same-sex relationships. The initial case involving the Parker and Wirthlin families was filed in 2006. The case was heard in federal court a year ago, and was dismissed. The Parkers’ son brought home a book as part of the diversity book bag from his Estabrook Elementary kindergarten class in 2005. The book, “Who’s in a Family,” showed various family types including a same-sex-headed household, as well as single...

Court upholds dismissal of suit over schools' same-sex teaching January 31, 2008 BOSTON—A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Lexington parents who objected to same-sex families being discussed in their children's elementary school classrooms. Tonia and David Parker of Lexington sued school officials in April 2006 after their son brought home a book from kindergarten that depicted a gay family. Joseph and Robin Wirthlin joined the suit after a second-grade teacher read the class a story about two princes falling in love. In a ruling Thursday, the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals...

Parker/Wirthlin lawsuit back in court Two families were back in court Wednesday to appeal the February dismissal of their federal lawsuit against Lexington and its schools.The three-judge panel of the First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave both sides 10 days to file supplemental briefs before beginning deliberations on whether the lawsuit should see a federal trial.The Parker and Wirthlin families’ lawyer, Robert Sinshiener, argued there are a set of facts to advance their claim that Lexington violated the families’ constitutional civil rights, specifically the right to the free practice of their religion. The two families sued the school district...

Lexington - On Monday, Sept. 24, authors of “Courting Equality: A Documentary History of America’s First Legal Same-Sex Marriages” officially commenced plans to donate a copy of their book to every public high school in Massachusetts. Greater Boston parents, families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) presented the first of these books to Lexington High School. The town of Lexington began receiving national attention when parent David Parker filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the school system after his son was shown a book that mentioned the existence of families headed by gay couples. Brian Camenker of the...

Lawsuit filed by Parkers, Wirthlins dismissed By Susan Bushey/Lexington Minuteman Friday, February 23, 2007 - Updated: 04:17 PM EST The lawsuit filed by residents David and Tonia Parker and Robert and Robin Wirthlin was dismissed from federal court earlier today. The lawsuit alleged the Lexington schools violated the families’ constitutional rights by including teachings about different types of families — including same-sex-headed households — in its curriculum. According to the decision, the couples argued that the school district’s conduct “violates their rights under the United States Constitution to raise their children and to the free exercise of their religion.” In...

David Parker had clearly made the big time as he joined a who's who of the religious right, including Tony Perkins (Family Research Council), James Dobson (Focus on the Family), convicted Watergate burglar Chuck Colson, Gary Bauer, Mitt Romney, and a host of others, at the so-called "Liberty Sunday" event. I wonder, as he soaked in his standing ovation, whether he thought about his town -- our town -- that he and the Wirthlins sued collectively, or his kid's teacher, or our school administration, which they also sued individually. I wonder if he thought about all the time, money and...

Town wants suit dropped By Bethan L. Jones/ Staff Writer Thursday, August 24, 2006 - Updated: 08:18 AM EST Last week, the town of Lexington filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against School Committee members, former interim Superintendent William Hurley and current Superintendent Paul Ash, as well as a series of Lexington teachers. David Parker and his wife Tonia, along with Robb and Robin Wirthlin, filed a federal complaint against Lexington on the one-year anniversary of David Parker’s arrest at Estabrook Elementary School last April, alleging the town violated their civil rights by denying both families the option to...

Letter: Teach your children well Thursday, July 27, 2006 David Parker is right - he should be allowed to "direct the moral upbringing of his children." As a parent, educator, and citizen, I am glad to see any parent take responsibility for his children's upbringing. I know of no one who would deny him this right. Unfortunately for Parker, he has chosen to instill in his children a sense of bigotry that that the majority in his community condemn. While it is a sad reality that in parts of the country people are judged by their race, gender, age, and...

I must confess that I had trouble following David Parker's rambling version of the events surrounding the schoolyard fight between his child and his child's friend (with whom he had a play date later that week). However, a few questions clearly remain unanswered: Why is Mr. Parker subjecting his young child to nationwide publicity through the press releases of a fringe political group? How does this help his child to have normal school relationships (or even a normal childhood)? How can he use his child to gain maximum publicity for his cause and at the same time decry the fact...

Angry callers threatened to beat up the school superintendent. A school principal, bombarded by nasty e-mails, left town. Even David Parker, the father who stirred the controversy when he asked that his son be removed from class if homosexuality was covered, now is worried about his son's safety at school. The anxiety and suspicion that has gripped this progressive town over the past year shows the consequences for a community when a national political issue hits home. On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the only state to legalize gay marriage, in a nation with a president who wants to ban...

Guest Commentary : Moving forward By Meg Soens and Pam Hoffman/ Guest Commentary Thursday, June 29, 2006 - Updated: 07:58 AM EST Our community has been wounded. The recent false allegation that a first-grade child was beaten by several children because of his parents’ activism has had grievous impacts on many people in our town. Amid the rancor and distrust this has created, it has left many of us wondering what we can do to regain our balance as a community. What can we do to move forward? First, we need to understand the effects of this allegation on our...

Letter: Message for Parker: ‘Stop bullying’ Thursday, June 22, 2006 - Updated: 05:28 PM EST When bullies stay in the spotlight too long, they show their true colors. Such it is with David Parker. First, he poses as a champion protecting his son from a liberal school system that tolerates all families. When his belligerent ways with teacher and principal and superintendent get nowhere, he turns himself into a media spectacle to carry his anti-gay message further. So be it. In this age of divisive hate politics, it can happen anywhere. Lexington is a community that was annealed defending the...

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...

Contrary to a statement released on June 14 by Brian Camenker of MassResistance, an altercation that involved David Parker's son at Lexington's Estabrook School was totally unrelated to his father's activism. Lexington C.A.R.E.S. views the accusations in the MassResistance press release as baseless, meaningless and without merit. This is nothing more than another publicity stunt by Brian Camenker. Dr. Paul Ash, Lexington Superintendent of Schools, says, "The school department is conducting a thorough investigation. The safety of all children is our utmost concern." A statement is expected after the investigation is complete. Staff and parents at Estabrook School have related...

A press release was issued by MassResistance, formerly Article 8 Alliance, on Wednesday alleging Jacob Parker, the first-grade son of David and Tonia Parker, was assaulted on the playground at the Estabrook Elementary School on May 17, the two-year anniversary of gay marriage in Massachusetts. The Parkers are currently suing the Lexington Public Schools for violating their rights because LPS refused to notify parents when homosexuality will be discussed in the classroom. David Parker was arrested at the Estabrook Elementary School in April 2005 after refusing to leave a meeting with Estabrook Principal Joni Jay and then-Director of Curriculum Andre...