More Police nonsense. Father arrested for Speaking Against Sexually Explicit Book

[Deberg_1990]

What the??? He violated the 2 minute rule.

You can jump to around 5:00 in the video.




Gilford, NH- A father of a high school student was arrested at a school board meeting Monday night after protesting the school’s sexually explicit required reading assigned to his 9th grade daughter at Gilford High School.

The book in question, ”Nineteen Minutes” by author Jodi Picoult, is about a school shooting taking place in a fictitious New Hampshire town, and it contains themes of student violence, bullying, and sexual aggression. There is one particularly provocative and graphic depiction of violent, drunken sex between two teens in the story on page 313. Click here to read the passage (warning: graphic language and explicit sexual content).

William Baer came to the meeting to voice his opposition to the school’s failure to send home notification alerting parents of the graphic content. “I’m outraged that Gilford High School would require my daughter to read this kind of material,” Baer told the Laconia Daily Sun.

Josh Youssef, a friend of Baer, spoke with Benswann.com about what preceded the school board meeting and Baer’s arrest. Youssef was at Baer’s home when they were talking about a reading assignment given to Baer’s daughter. Youssef opened the book and came across page 313, and they were shocked by the graphic description of rough sex. “His jaw dropped,” Youseff told Benswann.com.

Baer then contacted Principal Peter Sawyer of Gilford High School last Wednesday to arrange a meeting, but was told by Sawyer it would not be possible to meet before the weekend. Baer attended Monday’s meeting to make his concerns known to the school board. There was a police officer present at the meeting, Gilford Lt. James Leach. Youssef said that he had been told by other parents that it’s not common for police to be present at Gilford school board meetings.

The school board meeting allowed for public comment only; no discussion, questions or speaking more than once was permitted.

After Baer spoke for two minutes- the maximum speaking time dictated by the school board- another parent, Joe Wernig, spoke in support of the book’s content. Baer responded to Wernig’s comments, and it was then that he was asked to leave by Leach. When Baer asked if he was going to be arrested, he was escorted from the meeting by Leach and handcuffed before being placed in a police cruiser. After Baer’s arrest, Lt. Leach was not replaced by another officer for the duration of the meeting.



Baer was not the only angry parent at the school board meeting. Another parent, Sarah Carrigan, said that she was “utterly appalled that this was an ‘oversight’”. Baer’s wife, Barbara Baer, shares her husband’s frustration. “They can discuss this some other way,” she said. “They don’t need that kind of imagery.”

“Nineteen Minutes” has been part of Gilford’s 9th grade AP English curriculum since 2007 when it was published. The school issued a statement that concluded the district “will take immediate action to revise these policies to include notification that requires parents to accept controversial material, rather than opt out.” The school sent out a notice stating that the book assigned “depicts high school relationships, some of which are unhealthy.”

Baer told Benswann.com that the school’s notice was only sent out after he went to the principal to discuss it, and that the notice failed to disclose the graphic passage in the book. “I can’t believe the school requires this as reading material,” he said. “There’s no reason to expect this kind of thing.”

While some parents say that this book opens up critical dialogue between parents and their children, Baer noted that when he asked Sawyer to discuss the passage in context with the rest of the book, Sawyer said he was uncomfortable doing so.

In the extended video below, given to Benswann.com by Youssef, Baer is shown being arrested after speaking out. Youssef believes, and the video shows, at minute 5:05 the superintendent signalling Lt. Leach to confront Baer to remove him from the building.



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[htismaqe]

School boards. Yet another ridiculous bureaucratic construct.

[frankotank]

I'd like to read page 313.

EDIT

http://benswann.com/?attachment_id=12291

[-King-]

Lone wolf in 5...4....3....2....
Posted via Mobile Device

[Just Passin' By]

LoneWolf will be here momentarily, to defend the arrest.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by -King-

Lone wolf in 5...4....3....2....
Posted via Mobile Device

Originally Posted by Just Passin' By

LoneWolf will be here momentarily, to defend the arrest.

Son of a...

[Marcellus]

Simply looks like there is going to be an ex-school superintendent soon.

[Fish]

Damn. No way I'd let my 9th grade daughter read this..

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by frankotank

I'd like to read page 313.

EDIT

http://benswann.com/?attachment_id=12291

Wow, I don't remember reading any books like that when I was in school.

[saphojunkie]

I can't roll my eyes hard enough at every person involved in this story.

Overprotective dad.

Teacher should have known better.

Principal should have handled immediately.

School board should have never had father removed.

Cop should have laughed in their face when they wanted him arrested.

But most importantly...

That writer should be ashamed for writing about hot sticky cum on the carpet. Doesn't move the story forward and is completely pointless. Needlessly graphic and takes you out of the scene. I'm not offended as a parent. I'm offended as a writer. Pure shock value. Stupid.

[Garcia Bronco]

Oy vah...that doesn't even sound like a good time...to me.

School Board gets a finger waving
Officer is suspended 1 week with no pay
Book is removed
Teacher suspended 1 week no pay
Principle documented in performance review
Father compensated per a law suit.

[Just Passin' By]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

...Overprotective dad...

You're out of your ****ing mind.

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

Wow, I don't remember reading any books like that when I was in school.

When the boys turn their copies in, all the pages will be stuck together...

[El Jefe]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

I can't roll my eyes hard enough at every person involved in this story.

Overprotective dad.

Teacher should have known better.

Principal should have handled immediately.

School board should have never had father removed.

Cop should have laughed in their face when they wanted him arrested.

But most importantly...

That writer should be ashamed for writing about hot sticky cum on the carpet. Doesn't move the story forward and is completely pointless. Needlessly graphic and takes you out of the scene. I'm not offended as a parent. I'm offended as a writer. Pure shock value. Stupid.

Over protective? You would allow your 9th grade daughter (hypothetical if need be) to read that?

[gblowfish]

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

I can't roll my eyes hard enough at every person involved in this story.
That writer should be ashamed for writing about hot sticky cum on the carpet. Doesn't move the story forward and is completely pointless. Needlessly graphic and takes you out of the scene. I'm not offended as a parent. I'm offended as a writer. Pure shock value. Stupid.

Stanley Steemer approves of this book...