Books More Police nonsense. Father arrested for Speaking Against Sexually Explicit Book - Page 10

Deberg_1990 · 05-07-2014, 10:17 AM

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.

Read more: http://benswann.com/exclusive-father...#ixzz312z4HDPa
Follow us: @BenSwann_ on Twitter

saphojunkie · 05-07-2014, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

If a parent fails to respond to an opt-out notice for whatever reason, the child is assigned the material.

If a parent fails to respond to an opt-in notice for whatever reason, the child is NOT assigned the material.

It's a fundamental shift from implicit to explicit participation.

****ing reeruned. Let's leave it up to the kids to report to their parents whether or not they should have to do homework.

"Johnny, did you bring back the note from your dad saying you have to do homework?"

"He wouldn't sign it. He thinks it's offensive."

"Did you actually give it to him?"

"Of course I did! This is opt-in! You can't force me!"

"Okay... Katie? Did you bring your note?"

"My dad thought it was offensive, too. He says I can't read it."

"Okay, well the two of you are excused from class while we discuss page 313."

*they leave and go have anal sex in her car*

htismaqe · 05-07-2014, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by saphojunkie

****ing reeruned. Let's leave it up to the kids to report to their parents whether or not they should have to do homework.

"Johnny, did you bring back the note from your dad saying you have to do homework?"

"He wouldn't sign it. He thinks it's offensive."

"Did you actually give it to him?"

"Of course I did! This is opt-in! You can't force me!"

"Okay... Katie? Did you bring your note?"

"My dad thought it was offensive, too. He says I can't read it."

"Okay, well the two of you are excused from class while we discuss page 313."

*they leave and go have anal sex in her car*

You do know that schools use email and contact parents DIRECTLY with shit like this, right?

I mean, the public schools are run by idiots but even they aren't this ****ing stupid.

'Hamas' Jenkins · 05-07-2014, 07:31 PM

I don't have a problem with the content of that page. Our society has incredibly ****ed up views regarding sex and violence. Lord of the Flies, which includes children murdering other children, is far more graphic and heinous than almost any non-rape scene imaginable.

Now, that's not to say that LotF is bannable, because it's not.

The teacher failed, not in choosing some salacious, but by choosing a text from an author known for vacuous, lowest-common-denominator plots.

I have some personal experience with a similar situation. I've had a student who refused to read Choke because he was, in his words, a Christian and it offended him. What I found interesting was that this same student had no issues reading a novel wherein a child describes the graphic murder of three children.

I've also had a student who refused to read "Going to Meet the Man" by James Baldwin. The ignorance of the student bothered me greatly because she didn't consider why there might be value in reading something that makes you uncomfortable because it just may challenge your values and help you better understand yourself and others.

Garcia Bronco · 05-07-2014, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

The ignorance of the student bothered me greatly because she didn't consider why there might be value in reading something that makes you uncomfortable because it just may challenge your values and help you better understand yourself and others.

Great point about reading ideas you don't like.

DaveNull · 05-07-2014, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I've had a student who refused to read Choke because he was, in his words, a Christian and it offended him.

His loss. Choke was great fun.

Pitt Gorilla · 05-07-2014, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I don't have a problem with the content of that page. Our society has incredibly ****ed up views regarding sex and violence. Lord of the Flies, which includes children murdering other children, is far more graphic and heinous than almost any non-rape scene imaginable.

Now, that's not to say that LotF is bannable, because it's not.

The teacher failed, not in choosing some salacious, but by choosing a text from an author known for vacuous, lowest-common-denominator plots.

I have some personal experience with a similar situation. I've had a student who refused to read Choke because he was, in his words, a Christian and it offended him. What I found interesting was that this same student had no issues reading a novel wherein a child describes the graphic murder of three children.

I've also had a student who refused to read "Going to Meet the Man" by James Baldwin. The ignorance of the student bothered me greatly because she didn't consider why there might be value in reading something that makes you uncomfortable because it just may challenge your values and help you better understand yourself and others.

We had a student who wanted to have a technology class replaced with something else because her religion "didn't believe in technology." I assured her that it existed.

Jimmya · 05-08-2014, 05:19 AM

93-year-old Texas woman fatally shot by police
AP 9 hr ago By Associated Press
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HEARNE, Texas (AP) — A 93-year-old Central Texas woman was fatally shot at her home by a police officer answering a call about a person with a gun, authorities said.

Pearlie Golden, a longtime resident of Hearne who was affectionately known to her neighbors as Ms. Sully, was shot Tuesday night, Robertson County District Attorney Coty Siegert said.

"She did have a gun. ... Now, what she was doing with it, that is the ultimate question," said Siegert.

The investigation is being handled by the Texas Rangers. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to a grand jury, Siegert said.

City attorney Bryan Russ Jr. said the officer has been put on paid administrative leave as is standard protocol when an officer is involved in a shooting. "What we believe is that she was instructed to drop the weapon, that is my understanding," Russ said.

He could not comment any further because the investigation is ongoing.

Hearne is a town of about 4,500 people that's about 140 miles south of Dallas.

Mosbonian · 05-08-2014, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 'Hamas' Jenkins

I have some personal experience with a similar situation. I've had a student who refused to read Choke because he was, in his words, a Christian and it offended him. What I found interesting was that this same student had no issues reading a novel wherein a child describes the graphic murder of three children.

I've also had a student who refused to read "Going to Meet the Man" by James Baldwin. The ignorance of the student bothered me greatly because she didn't consider why there might be value in reading something that makes you uncomfortable because it just may challenge your values and help you better understand yourself and others.

I agree wholeheartedly on the above....there are books that were assigned to my daughter that I found personally offensive, but still chose to let her read them because I don't want her to live in a bubble. She is headed off to college next year and the last thing I want her to be is naïve when it comes to reading material.

We only opted out on one book her whole HS career, and the wife & I talked about that one for several days before making that decision. And it was more on a personal level about whether she was emotionally/mentally prepared to understand the message in the book.

My biggest concerns when it comes to the classroom is less the material being read, and more the presenter. Teachers with agendas, while a very small percentage, are still troublesome to me.

DaveNull · 05-08-2014, 06:40 AM

Oh come on....what was the book you opted out of?

LiveSteam · 05-08-2014, 06:46 AM

Call in the Militia.

**LoneWolf** · 05-08-2014, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveNull

Oh come on....what was the book you opted out of?

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. There is a large snake which is a direct representation of a penis and all the sexual tension between Harry and Hermione could be confusing to young readers.

WhawhaWhat · 05-08-2014, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveNull

Oh come on....what was the book you opted out of?

The Bible.

**loochy** · 05-08-2014, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LiveSteam

Call in the Militia.

Call in St. Joe's MRAP.

Mosbonian · 05-08-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WhawhaWhat

The Bible.

Funny as you were trying to be, your joke was out of date.

The Bible isn't allowed in school anymore.

**loochy** · 05-08-2014, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveNull

Oh come on....what was the book you opted out of?

Basics of Grammar

05-07-2014, 10:17 AM
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $3914454	More Police nonsense. Father arrested for Speaking Against Sexually Explicit Book 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. Read more: http://benswann.com/exclusive-father...#ixzz312z4HDPa Follow us: @BenSwann_ on Twitter
Posts: 66,914

05-07-2014, 07:31 PM	#138
'Hamas' Jenkins Now you've pissed me off! Join Date: Jan 2006 Casino cash: $8009572	I don't have a problem with the content of that page. Our society has incredibly ***ed up views regarding sex and violence. Lord of the Flies, which includes children murdering other children, is far more graphic and heinous than almost any non-rape scene imaginable. Now, that's not to say that LotF* is bannable, because it's not. The teacher failed, not in choosing some salacious, but by choosing a text from an author known for vacuous, lowest-common-denominator plots. I have some personal experience with a similar situation. I've had a student who refused to read Choke because he was, in his words, a Christian and it offended him. What I found interesting was that this same student had no issues reading a novel wherein a child describes the graphic murder of three children. I've also had a student who refused to read "Going to Meet the Man" by James Baldwin. The ignorance of the student bothered me greatly because she didn't consider why there might be value in reading something that makes you uncomfortable because it just may challenge your values and help you better understand yourself and others. __________________ "When the Know-Nothings get control, it will read 'all men are created equal, except negroes, and foreigners, and Catholics.' When it comes to this I should prefer emigrating to some country where they make no pretense of loving liberty – to Russia, for instance, where despotism can be taken pure, and without the base alloy of hypocrisy.”--Abraham Lincoln
Posts: 74,825

05-08-2014, 05:19 AM	#142
Jimmya Veteran Join Date: Dec 2012 Casino cash: $10024530	93-year-old Texas woman fatally shot by police AP 9 hr ago By Associated Press SHARE 1.2K TWEET 72 EMAIL HEARNE, Texas (AP) — A 93-year-old Central Texas woman was fatally shot at her home by a police officer answering a call about a person with a gun, authorities said. Pearlie Golden, a longtime resident of Hearne who was affectionately known to her neighbors as Ms. Sully, was shot Tuesday night, Robertson County District Attorney Coty Siegert said. "She did have a gun. ... Now, what she was doing with it, that is the ultimate question," said Siegert. The investigation is being handled by the Texas Rangers. Once the investigation is complete, the case will be presented to a grand jury, Siegert said. City attorney Bryan Russ Jr. said the officer has been put on paid administrative leave as is standard protocol when an officer is involved in a shooting. "What we believe is that she was instructed to drop the weapon, that is my understanding," Russ said. He could not comment any further because the investigation is ongoing. Hearne is a town of about 4,500 people that's about 140 miles south of Dallas.
Posts: 2,743

05-08-2014, 06:40 AM	#144
DaveNull Veteran Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Villa Straylight Casino cash: $10005610	Oh come on....what was the book you opted out of?
Posts: 2,367

05-08-2014, 06:46 AM	#145
LiveSteam The Constitutional Choo choo Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: homeof43conferencetitles Casino cash: $2245432	Call in the Militia.
Posts: 44,292