By Jesse Segovia
Lexington Minuteman
Thursday, September 15, 2005
On Tuesday, Sept. 6, friends and supporters of David Parker held a rally on the Lexington Green to show their support for David and for parental rights. Mr. Parker was arrested and a restraining order taken out against him because he insisted the Lexington public schools notify him before discussing sensitive issues related to human sexuality in his then-kindergarten son's class, despite the fact this is expressly mandated by Massachusetts state law.
I would like to ask the Lexington School Committee why they have chosen to needlessly drag our community through a deepening sense of division and conflict by refusing to work with Mr. Parker to find a resolution suitable to him and to the community. By digging in their heels and fighting against Mr. Parker and parental rights, and by refusing to follow state law, the School Committee is forcing parents with differing views to contend directly with one another. We believe parents in our community want all children to be respected and to be allowed to learn in a friendly and safe atmosphere. The schools are jeopardizing this positive atmosphere by choosing to stand firmly with one side, and by opposing and punishing the other side in this debate.
The School Committee members have also chosen to waste precious education resources in fighting Mr. Parker in what will surely be a losing battle. Noted liberal civil rights litigator and author Harvey Silvergate says the law and the constitution are firmly on Mr. Parker's side - the school has no right to deny him his parental rights and to subject his child to, in Mr. Silvergate's words, "coercive indoctrination" without any right to object. Is this fairness and balance, and respect for differing views?
Last Tuesday, those opposed to David Parker and parental notification held a counter demonstration across the street from the Lexington Green. This is certainly within the rights of those parents who oppose parental rights and we welcome the involvement of the community members who participated in this counter-demonstration. However, we noted the presence and participation at the counter demonstration of Lexington School Committee Chairman Helen Cohen and School Committee member Tom Griffiths. Surely they know the David Parker issue and other issues surrounding it will come before their body this year. Lexington parents expect and deserve a School Committee that is fair and impartial, that administers school policies based on the law and what is best for our children, and not a School Committee whose rulings and practices reflect their own political opinions and personal activism.
Now that the bias of Ms. Cohen and Mr. Griffiths is a matter of public record, it is apparent there exists a conflict of interest in any business related to David Parker that comes before the School Committee. If the Lexington School Committee is a professional and objective body whose members consider town education matters more important than their own personal agendas we would expect that they recuse themselves from participation in these matters. Let's hope they choose to set a fair and ethical example for all of our children in their care.
Jesse Segovia lives on Pheasant Lane.