Posted on May 6, 2014
SSG Robert Burns
2.24K
40
19
1
1
0
This man is arrested for going over his 2 minutes in a school board meeting and asked to leave by the police. The issue was that the school issued a book that had a graphic sexual encounter in it with no notification to the parents. The father was outraged and they had the nerve to tell him to be respectful.
Are post schools regulated any differently than civilian school? Do you think the MP's would have handled this situation the same way. I certainly would have not been as calm as this guy and if I was there I probably would of chimed in too.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/05/06/watch-what-happens-when-one-parent-speaks-out-at-a-school-board-meeting-about-a-controversial-book-assigned-to-his-daughter/
Avatar feed
Responses: 9
SGM Io Sgm
2
2
0
There are DOD schools in CONUS. I was elected and served on the Fort Bragg School board when I was stationed there. There was a open session at each one of the school board meetings for parents to address any issues. On the agenda it was listed for a certain amount of time but for any parent that had an issue we would more than happily listen to them. Their is no reason for someone to be cut off just because of a time requirment unless they are not saying anything new and are just repeating themself again and again. The right thing to do would be to set up a seperate meeting with any concerned paerents and listen to their grieviences and work out the issue. My personal belief is yes it was pornographic in nature and should not be in the schools.
(2)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SSgt Forensic Meteorological Consultant
2
2
0
I am sick and tired of officials being rude. The lady speaking should be fired along with the cop.
(2)
Comment
(0)
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
>1 y
Most bases I have been on have Private Security Contractors
(0)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
MAJ Dallas D.
2
2
0
I am very afraid it is only going to get worse with Common Core. I have 2 boys in elementary school and go over as much as I can with them. We as parents must be involved or the "we know best" mentality will only get worse.
(2)
Comment
(0)
CPT Battery Commander
CPT (Join to see)
>1 y
I did my capstone paper on Common Core. I learned a great deal about the initiative, and its inception. It is worthy of concern, thats for sure. I also have two boys in elementary school, and I am going to be very involved in thier education. I believe I read there are states already considering dropping the Common Core curriculum.
(2)
Reply
(0)
SSgt Forensic Meteorological Consultant
SSgt (Join to see)
>1 y
Yes Common Core has been assailed relentlessly and by both conservatives and liberals. Each with serious concerns and one of the big issues are the standardized testing route. Overboard.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
Avatar feed
Getting arrested at a school board meeting for speaking up? Would it matter if this school was on post? Would the MP's do this?
SSG (ret) William Martin
1
1
0
I am an MP, and I would not have apprehended him unless my supervisor told me too. By the time I got there, he might be gone or at least sitting in his seat and being quite, and at that point I am not going to recommend apprehension unless I witnessed him displaying disorderly conduct in public however, I do not think speaking outside of his allotted time qualifies as disorderly conduct.
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SGT Craig Northacker
1
1
0
School districts are bizarre, and there is very little rhyme or reason to their decisions. I have spent many hours trying to resolve problems, and there are more idiots than there are helpful folks out there. In NY where I live, superintendents make north of $ 250,000 per year. Not sure why, and no-one has ever answered the question. It reminds me of the discussions between fleet line officers and their aviation counterparts when asked about what the aviators do to earn their pay. The aviators replied with great verve what they do to earn their flight pay, whereupon the line officers, suitably impressed, agreed, but then asked what they did to earn their base pay.
(1)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small
SFC Physical Security Program Manager
1
1
0
Edited >1 y ago
Its an interesting question. But to answer your original question(s):

1. Getting arrested at a school board for speaking up? While its more of a statement rather than a question, but if the question your asking is can you? Yes, if head of the facility or chair of the meeting were to call and claim you were disrupting a meeting or authorized gathering then the person "could" be apprehended under Art 134 UCMJ, Disorderly Conduct. And you are on a military installation.

2. Well yes it would matter as military police soldiers have no authority off the installation, unless the president has declared martial law and suspended Posse Comitatus Act.

3. Would the MPs do this? Yes, if we respond to an incident where we are called and observe the act, we would be required by UCMJ to execute our duties.

I see this question a lot and coming up in other areas of these forum questions. MP soldiers while we have some latitude in the disposition of some minor incidents, if the complainant, wishes to file a formal complaint then we are duty bound to execute our duty. It doesnt mean we like it, doesnt even mean we agree with it, but we have a sworn duty.

In this particular case, I agree that the father had every right to be upset and even voice his concern over the reading assignment given his daughter. While I agree that the response was heavy handed but don't demonize the officer for doing his duty. He to was sworn and he also has to execute that duty. If he had been verbally abusive or physically abusive that would be a different story but from other accounts I have read that none of that was present.
(1)
Comment
(0)
SSG Robert Burns
SSG Robert Burns
>1 y
My question was edited by someone else. That wasnt how I worded it.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
CPT Battery Commander
1
1
0
The issue is troubling, and the parent made a comment referring to parents being trated as custodians and the educational system being a victim of their own "we know best" mentality.
That being said, I believe that in order to bring about change in a positive manner, there are right and wrong ways to do it. I believe that it was irresponsible of the educators to assign a book that is not age-appropriate, but there are right and wrong ways to to protest. The man could have made a bigger impact by approaching it from a different direction.

I can't say I would feel any different. I would be just as concerned. The man was in the right and the school board exhibited signs of malicious compliance and power drunk. Educators should place parental approval as one of the top priorities in determining what is appropriate. Rough sex between two teenagers graphically depicted in a book with bold imagery is not age appropriate and should be elective, not mandatory. Leave that power with the parents. Have an alternative assignment with an alternate book to choose.
(1)
Comment
(0)
SSG Robert Burns
SSG Robert Burns
>1 y
Some even classify it as pornographic.
(1)
Reply
(0)
CPT Battery Commander
CPT (Join to see)
>1 y
Even if only sexually explicit, parents should be given the right to say no. Parents are given the right to deny thier children from watching sexually explicit television or movies. School should absolutely be no different.
(3)
Reply
(0)
SSG Operations
SSG (Join to see)
>1 y
I read the part of the book that upset a lot of people. It's explict. mentions bodily fluids.
(2)
Reply
(0)
SSG Trevor S.
SSG Trevor S.
>1 y
Since the material in the assignment is mandatory, and offensive sexually, the father should press child endangerment charges against the teacher and administrators involved. I bet they would think about listening at that point.
(2)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SPC(P) Thomas Beliveau
0
0
0
SSG,

It seems like the man was being disruptive if they had to ask him to be respectful. Also, when a cop tells you to do something and you refuse and say you'll have to arrest me, then you shouldn't be shocked when you get arrested. That actually got a laugh out me. I think that the man might have been a little more disruptive then the article seems, and disorderly conduct is a thing.
(0)
Comment
(0)
SSG Robert Burns
SSG Robert Burns
>1 y
Did you watch the video?
(1)
Reply
(0)
SSgt Forensic Meteorological Consultant
SSgt (Join to see)
>1 y
SPC, I do not agree. These days the worst is expected of people and her actions and the overboard nature of arresting him is flat wrong and he is part of a growing problem.
(1)
Reply
(0)
Avatar small
SSG Avionics and Survivability Repairer
0
0
0
Unless it is a DODDS school it will be managed by the local school district. As far as I know the only DODDS schools are overseas, but I could be mistaken.

As for the book, I looked into the excerpts in question and I would at least like to be notified of the book reading before it took place. As a parent I should be allowed to exempt my child from anything I deem inappropriate. What went wrong here was not the book, it was that parents were not notified properly.
(0)
Comment
(0)
Avatar small

Join nearly 2 million former and current members of the US military, just like you.

close