012397Behavior at parent association meeting was disruptive and unwelcome

To the Editor:

(The following is a letter to Philip Christe, a former candidate for Bedford Central Board of Education and the 89th General Assembly, and is printed here at the writers' request.)

We are deeply concerned by your behavior at the meeting sponsored by the Fox Lane High School Parents' Association on Monday, Jan. 13, a meeting held by and for high school parents to discuss topics of personal concern. Dr. Herb Nieburg, a respected community mental health professional, and a colleague were addressing our parents on a topic of teenage sexuality at our invitation.

Although you are neither a high school parent nor a member of our organization, you showed up with a video camera and proceeded to tape our meeting, even after we asked you not to because we were concerned it would impede a free discussion on a sensitive topic.

Since we repeatedly asked you not to record, we can only assume that your behavior was a reflection of your own highly conservative beliefs, an attempt to intimidate parents who don't share your views from engaging in free and open discussion or your political vendetta against certain board members. In any case, we cannot allow you to use our high school association meeting as a forum for you to advance your destructive agenda.

We are putting you on notice that the parent association is a private organization and we do not permit our meetings to be videotaped. Further, if you attempt to similarly disrupt any of our meetings in the future, we will not hesitate to phone the police to have you removed.

Paula Kumar and Romey Michalac

co-presidents, Fox Lane
High School Association

ANOTHER MORE ACCURATE WITNESS TO THE EVENT