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The Meeting, Arrest, Jailing, and Court Appearance:
Deceitful tactics by school officials!
Near end of meeting school officials negotiated an agreement with parent,
then Superintendent refused to sign it; had Parker arrested instead.
After the first hour, Tonia Parker left the meeting and went out and sat in
her car. During this time, as the meeting continued, David continued to
discuss the progress of the meeting with her via cell phone.
David Parker (r), in meeting with school officials,
telephones wife out in parking lot during what he thought were good faith
negotiations.
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 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. David
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 David arrested for
trespassing.
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.
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.
As police prepare to arrest Parker, school Principal (left)
and police official come out and order all people in vicinity to leave.
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Before arrest takes place, police officer (per
Principal's order) approaches David Parker's wife sitting in car and
sternly orders her off school property or risk arrest herself!
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At the courthouse the next day, the incident definitely got people's
attention:
When word got out, media from across Massachusetts lined
up outside the courthouse.
And as David Parker walked out of the building after his
arraignment, he was mobbed by reporters. By early afternoon, it was on
virtually all the Boston area TV and radio newscasts.
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