Boston Globe
Arrested father had point to make. Disputed school’s lesson on diversity
CONCORD — For David Parker, the first alarm went off in January, when his 5-year-old son came home from his kindergarten class at Lexington’s Joseph Estabrook School with a bag of books promoting diversity.
Inside were books about foreign cultures and traditions, along with food recipes. There was also a copy of ”Who’s In a Family?” by Robert Skutch, which depicts different kinds of families, including same-sex couples raising children.
The book’s contents concerned Parker and prompted him to begin a series of e-mail exchanges with school officials on the subject that culminated in a meeting Wednesday night with Estabrook’s principal and district director of instruction. The meeting ended with Parker’s arrest after he refused to leave the school, and the Lexington man spent the night in jail.
Mr. David Parker was trying to stand up for his parental right not to have his 5-year-old son taught about homosexuality (which is guaranteed under the so-called “opt-out” law), and he was arrested for it. This is absolutely incredible. What is the world coming to?
What we have here is a simple case of intolerance and denial of rights. The school board here in Lexington, Massachusetts (Birthplace of Freedom??? Ha!) is intolerant of Mr. Parker’s culture and religion. And they have denied him his rights as a parent.
Now the school board and town are exercising their full weight and power to punitively punish him for the “crime” of asking that his son be opted out. Simply astonishing.
It’s a real “David vs. Goliath” story here in Massachusetts. I’m rooting for David. All it takes is a few pebbles.
http://www.davidparkerfund.org/