Guest guest Posted September 12, 2000 Report Share Posted September 12, 2000 COMMENT: As far as I know, a public school is public property and all the public needs to do is get a permit to protest there. I am sooooo sorry that it is upsetting the parents but as the other editorial said, (paraphrase) they should blame the district for not complying with the law and court orders. Elaine flagpole mom, 9/12/00 > > > > ----- > > -----Tuesday, September 12, 2000 > McGuffey board restricts access to protest site > BY KELLY McKINNEY > THE OBSERVER-REPORTER > CLAYSVILLE - Parents whose children attend the McGuffey elementary school > where a mother has tied herself to the flagpole say they are concerned about > the safety and welfare of their own children. > At least a dozen mothers and fathers from Blaine-Buffalo Elementary attended > a school board meeting Monday to air their concerns about the proximity of > the protest to the school building and the strangers it is attracting to the > grounds. > " She has the right to stand up for her son, " said parent Jami Janovich, > referring to Deanna Lesneski, the woman who has spent the better part of two > weeks demonstrating at the school. " But her advocates, the media and all of > that have no business being there. " > School directors agreed and responded by voting unanimously to restrict > anyone except employees, parents and McGuffey students from being on the > Blaine-Buffalo property. That would allow Lesneski to remain by the flagpole > but would ban news reporters and those who have shown up at the school to > support the mother in her crusade. > " There are people that are going to raise issues with this, " said Dennis > Makel, the school district's solicitor. " Sometimes you have to take a step > to know if you're going to fall. " > Even so, the motion did not address the murky issue of how the new policy > would be enforced. Joe Hammond, McGuffey's director of safety and security, > has the power to arrest those who do not comply with the law, but even the > former state police trooper hesitated to say he and his constables would be > able to remove protesters, some of whom are in wheelchairs. > " What you're asking us to do is probably going to be impossible, " he told > parents and school directors. > It is possible that security personnel will begin today restricting access > to the grounds by not allowing vehicles of those not affiliated with the > school district beyond the driveway entrance. > Despite its drawbacks, the proposal seemed to encourage those in the > audience who had responded with dismay at the news that arguments previously > scheduled to take place in Washington County Common Pleas Court this morning > had been canceled. > Last week, Makel filed a complaint on behalf of the district requesting that > a judge order Lesneski to move her sit-in away from the elementary school. > The mother of 7-year-old " Max " Lesneski first tied herself to the > flagpole with a jump rope Aug. 28, claiming the district was not meeting the > special education needs of her son. The second-grader has a diagnosis of > Down syndrome, severe asthma and is hard of hearing. > She called off her demonstration over Labor Day weekend because she said she > believed the school district had resolved her son's issues of medication and > the need for an aide proficient in sign language. Lesneski returned to the > flagpole Sept. 5, saying her son's medications were again not being > administered and the teacher hired to do sign language with him was not > working with the boy one-on-one as she had been promised. > The district has denied Lesneski's allegations. > And in the court papers filed last week, the school district accused the > woman and her companions at the flagpole of disrupting the school day. > The court papers also alleged that some of the protesters had been seen > smoking and that Lesneski had been seen defecating on the property during > the school day. > An attorney for Lesneski is arguing that the question should be resolved in > federal court before U.S. District Judge J. Cindrich, who already has > held conferences with attorneys involved in Lesneski's lawsuit against the > district. > " This is just another delay tactic, I believe, " Makel said. > Cindrich's staff is expected to schedule arguments between the attorneys, > Makel said. The solicitor said he will urge the court to take up the issue > as quickly as possible. > In the meantime, Lesneski and McGuffey administrators are scheduled to meet > again Wednesday afternoon to discuss issues related to Max's speech and > communication needs. A similar session held Monday morning to talk about the > boy's medical needs went very well, said Sheryl Fleck, the district's acting > director of special education. > One parent suggested during Monday's meeting that they might get better > results if the group collectively took its complaints to a higher level. > Perhaps petitioning local government and law enforcement officials would > prompt some kind of movement in what many parents see as a stalemate outside > their school. > " That woman should have been off there the second day of school, " said > parent Joe Boone. " She's been there two weeks. That's ridiculous. " > > http://www.observer-reporter.com/ > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2000 Report Share Posted September 13, 2000 You know what saddens me the most about the Flagpole Mom? It is that that parents of typical children, the community in which this child, " Max " lives, which he is a part of, are so opposed to what his mother is doing. It really bothers me that it seems.. from the news paper reports, that they are not supportive and even condemning her for what she is doing. While I agree that the people shouldn't be smoking and I feel they should maybe rent a port-a-potty, I think that it is great that she has support from outside...and if there is support from parents of children who attend that school, I would sure like to read about it in the paper with the rest of the reports. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2000 Report Share Posted September 13, 2000 , I agree with you. Have been thinking that all along. If some of the parents of regular kids would support her it would make a world of difference. Jessie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 13, 2000 Report Share Posted September 13, 2000 The parents of the kids in regular ed. are too busy fighting her because they think that she is getting more for her son than he deserves and that their kids aren't getting enough. One just wrote about the child with DS disrupting his child's regular classroom. I had a few parents like that when was little. I continued to force the issue and they eventually became advocates for him. One was even his substitute aide. I feel this mom is exceptionally brave. I've notice that sometimes even parents of kids with special needs don't support her struggle. We MUST support other parents in their fights to get what their children need. It doesn't matter what that is. Elaine Re: flagpole mom, 9/12/00 > > , I agree with you. Have been thinking that all along. If some of > the parents of regular kids would support her it would make a world of > difference. Jessie > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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