Lexington C.A.R.E.S.
Timeline: What happened at Estabrook School?
September 2002
- Diversity Book Bags, one
per classroom, start going home with Estabrook Elementary School
children.
Late Spring 2004
- The Parkers move to Lexington from New Jersey.
September 2004
- The Parker's child enters kindergarten at Estabrook Elementary School.
January 2005
- The Parkers send an
e-mail to school administrators, other parents in their child's
classroom and unidentified parties outside the Estabrook community,
demanding their child be prevented from coming into contact with any
books or discussions that include reference to gay families, and
specifically discussing the Diversity Book Bags.
- Mr. Parker contacts Brian Camenker, head of the anti-gay
Article 8 Alliance.
- The Parkers meet with
the Estabrook principal about their demands.
February - April 2005
- The Parkers attend two
Estabrook Anti Bias Committee meetings and exchange several e-mails
with the Estabrook principal. One of the e-mails states: "You are
not permitted to infringe upon our religious beliefs and parental
rights...to exclude our son from material that would expose him to
beliefs contrary to the Word of God in our Christian faith." Mr.
Parker attends a diversity workshop sponsored by the Estabrook Anti
Bias Committee and acts, as a writer to the local paper observed,
disruptively.
27 April 2005
- 3 PM, the Parkers meet
as scheduled with the principal and the director of curriculum.
- When the meeting
concludes, the Parkers refuse to leave the school unless their demands
are immediately met. The principal suggests Mr. Parker appeal to
the Commissioner of Education. Mr. Parker says others had tried,
it hadn't worked, and he is not leaving until all demands are
met. During the nearly three hours before his arrest, Mr. Parker
is often on his cell phone.
- About 5:45 PM, Parker
supporters show up at Estabrook School with video and still cameras.
- About 6:30 PM, when the
police inform Mr. Parker that the building has to be secured for the
night; he replies, "If I'm not under arrest, I'm not leaving."
- During the evening at
the police station and after making a phone call, Mr. Parker refuses to
post bail, choosing to spend the night in jail.
- By 11 PM, pictures from
the arrest and the complete correspondence between school officials and
the Parkers have appeared on the Article 8 website.
May 2005
- Mr. Parker appears on
the O'Reilly Factor with Brian Camenker, leader of Article 8 Alliance
on May 10. By that day, the principal of Estabrook School has
received over 700 out-of-state hate messages. References to "the
fascists of Lexington" and "jackbooted thugs currently in control of
Lexington" appear on the Article 8 website. Letters in the
Lexington newspaper run overwhelmingly in support of the public schools.
June 2005
- After disavowing close
ties with the Article 8 Alliance, Mr. Parker appears as the primary
speaker at a June 5 Article 8 rally, and with Brian Camenker in six
appearances in Maine (June 13, 14) as part of an effort to roll back an
anti-discrimination law in that state.
October 20, 2005
November 21, 2005
"The no-trespass order instituted by the Lexington Public Schools after Parker refused to leave a meeting at the Estabrook Elementary School in April, [is] lifted, allowing him to enter any school campus when he wishes." (Lexington Minuteman)
Sources
News reports in the Boston Globe, Lexington Minuteman, and Morning Sentinel (Waterville, ME);
joint statement of the Lexington Chief of Police and interim School
Superintendent; www.article8.org;
and www.mainebusiness.com.