Arizona advocate , Ray Parenteau

[Guest guest]

Ray Parenteau was an advocate arrested in Prescott, Arizona on charges filed by the District.(Prescott Unified School District) Most of the charges have been thrown out but he is not allowed to advocate on behalf of his clients, most students on the spectrum. ( story is below)It will be up to the court to determine guilt or innocenceAdmittedly , he has been a pain for the DistrictFeel free to add you comments to the news blog, ( as some of you already have) to let the folks in Arizona know they are on the radar Enclosed is link http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?Search=1 & ArticleID=64650 & SectionID=1 & SubSectionID=1 & S=1Tuesday, February 10, 2009Yavapai

County Superior Court Judge Lindberg has modified the release

conditions of Prescott Valley resident Parenteau, whom the

state has charged with defrauding the Prescott Unified School District of between $3,000 and $25,000.Lindberg

is allowing Parenteau to take his son to and from school and to speak

with his son's teachers or any other Washington Traditional School

officials who deal with Parenteau's young autistic son.Lindberg said he made his decision because the school district has obligations to educate Parenteau's child. Lindberg kept in place a restriction keeping Parenteau from contacting PUSD's main administrative and financial offices.Lindberg

also gave Parenteau permission to go to California to visit his wife in

case of an emergency during an upcoming back operation she is

undergoing there. Otherwise, he must remain in Arizona.A

Yavapai County Attorney's Office lawyer who represents the state in the

case argued against modifying Parenteau's release conditions, saying

school administration officials at both Washington Traditional and the

district wanted no contact with Parenteau.But Lindberg made it clear that school administrators work for the public and have an obligation to educate children.As for administrators at Washington Traditional School, Lindberg said, "I don't find that they have any horse in this race."Parenteau's wife is unable to take her son to school because of medication she takes for a long-standing back problem.Parenteau's

next court appearance is at 9 a.m. on March 2 when the attorneys in the

case will appear before Lindberg to iron out future court dates.Police

arrested Parenteau on Dec. 17 after a yearlong investigation. They said

Parenteau siphoned off money for himself that should have gone to

specialized teachers for home-schooling his son during an eight-month

period in 2007.Parenteau has said the charges are unfounded and

are the school district's way to retaliate against him for advocating

on behalf of children with special needs.