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012497 Video camera causes stir
BY Nancy Zink----------------------------------------------------------------
Could the appearance of a video camera have an impact on the atmosphere of a meeting?
How about if the meeting is a group of parents and the topic IS teenage sexuality?
Organizers for the Fox Lane High School association’s Jan. 13 presentation on adolescent sexuality
say their meeting was disrupted when Philip Christe of Mount Kisco decided he was going to videotape their meeting.
Adolescent therapists Dr. Ruth Mayer and Dr. Herb Nieburg a member of the Bedford Central School Board, were scheduled to speak on adolescent Sexuality:" Everything you wanted to Know about your teen's sexuality, but were afraid to ask or afraid to know! " at the high school.
Mr. Christe, a one-time candidate for the school board said he has filmed several meetings at the schools and felt that the subject matter of the association s meeting "was worth saving and getting it right."
When he began to set up his camera on a tripod during the association's business meeting, just before presentation, he was asked by Paula Kumar, co-president of the high school association, to not tape the meeting.
I just felt there was no reason for it," said Ms. Kumar who was joined by Dr. Nieburg in explaining
To Mr. Christe that the subject matter of the meeting was sensitive and a video camera would inhibit the Free-flow of discussion by the parents.
Romey Michalec, co-president of the association, said parents wouldn't have come to the meeting unless thcy had questions they wanted to ask. "We Feel our rights were violated," she said.
Ms. Kumar and Ms. Michalec said Mr. Christe frequently asked if the meeting was "open" and repeatedly ignored their requests.
What do you do?" Ms. Kumar said. When it became apparent that they were not going to convince him to not tape the meeting, Dr. Nieburg asked Christe to tape only his opening remarks and to turn off the camera when it came to the parent discussion. Mr. Christe was told he could take notes.
When Dr. Nieburg's opening remarks were concluded, Dr. Nieburg said Mr. Christe went to the camera and pressed a button. Although he has no proof, Dr. Nieburg said he had a feeling the camera Or maybe just the audio mechanism was left on. He suggested to those at the meeting not to say anything that they wouldn't mind being recorded.
"I did not tape the meeting... I respected their wishes," Mr. Christe said adamantly this week. "It wasn’t my intent to upset the parents."
Mr. Christe said he was interested in what Dr. Nieburg, as a psychologist and a school board member
had to say about teenage sexuality. He noted that the discussion period was interesting and he believes that it was not inhibited.Dr. Nieburg "conducted a fine meeting... I'm glad I went," Mr. Christe said.
However, Mr. Christe questioned whether it was "good policy" for a school board member to lead workshops and parent groups on such topics as teen sexuality and suicide. Participants in these workshops may have a difficult time separating his role of a school board member with that of a professional therapist, he said.
Ms. Kumar said Dr. Nieburg was recommended for the presentation by the high school's psychologist and that the meeting was in the planning stages since the beginning of the school year.
The association*s intent, Ms. Kumar said, was to bring high school parents together to help them network with their concerns and questions.
Ms. Michalec said Dr. Nieburg is a well respected therapist and community member. "We respect his opinion," she said. "It had nothing to do with him being a board member."
The association co-presidents agreed that having the camera there - whether it was on or not impacted the meeting. They said Mr. Christe was welcome at the meeting, but not with the camera.
In a letter to Mr. Christe this week that appears with the letters to the editor on page 8, the association co presidents said, "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."
They put him on notice, stating "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."
"It really destroyed the momentum of the meeting," Ms. Kumar said, although she noted that the discussion was "decent."
She would like Mr. Christe to better explain why he wanted to tape the meeting.
Mr. Christe said he has taped meetings in the past, including a phonics presentation by the West Patent Elementary School Association, to which he brought a tape recorder.
In a letter to the editor this week, Mr. Christe said he was unaware that group members believed he was still recording the meeting.
The parents association meetings are not subject to the same requirements of the open meetings law, Dr. Nieburg said after checking with counsel.