Lexington C.A.R.E.S.[Links added by Lexington C.A.R.E.S.]
After almost seven months of not setting foot inside his son's school, David Parker is back on campus.
As of Monday, the no-trespass order instituted by the Lexington Public Schools after Parker refused to leave a meeting at the Estabrook Elementary School in April, was lifted, allowing him to enter any school campus when he wishes.
Parker said he was very happy to be able to return to Estabrook where his son is a first-grader. He said, however, that the issues he has sought to raise with the Lexington schools have not been resolved.
Parker scheduled a meeting in late April with Estabrook principal Joni Jay and then-director of curriculum Andre Ravenelle to discuss the presence of the picture book "Who's in a Family," in the diversity book bags maintained in his son's kindergarten class. The book depicts various types of families raging from traditional nuclear families to single-parent and mixed race families.
Parker objected to the presence of two families headed by same-sex couples in the book and requested the school remove his son when homosexuality and transgenderism was discussed in the classroom, even casually, citing the subject matter falls under the state opt-out rules. The Lexington Public Schools refused, maintaining the opt-out rules are clearly defined for discussions surrounding the more physical aspects of human sexuality, which in Lexington is begun at the fifth grade.
Parker refused to leave the meeting with Jay and Ravenelle until his requests were met. He was eventually arrested by two detectives from the Lexington Police Department.
Superintendent of Schools Paul Ash, who took over the position in July, after the order was in place, called a meeting with Parker on Nov. 15 to discuss the trespass order. In October, Parker appeared in Concord District Court and agreed to one year of pre-trial probation for his arrest. In light of the matter being resolved legally, Ash said he wanted to assess the no-trespass order.
Ash said the meeting lasted approximately one hour. At the end, Ash said he was convinced Parker "doesn't present any risk ... to the occupants of the building."
Ash said the order had gone into effect as a result of Parker's refusal to leave the Estabrook School, not as a reaction to his beliefs. With the resolution of the legal case, Ash said he was morally and legally bound to reexamine the order. Ash said he feels confident Parker will not use the schools or his act of civil disobedience to make his point.
"My views haven't changed on the substance of school policy on the issue," said Ash.
Parker also said that while the no trespass order has been lifted, the issues he has with the schools around homosexuality have not gone away.
"Parents have the right to be aware how and when discussions of homosexuality, transgenderism and gay relationships are being offered and validated in the minds of their children," said Parker. "A good-faith partnership of schools with parents requires giving information to parents. ... Parents require openness and transparency pertaining to discussions and materials conveying human sexuality and transgenderism."