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Cressy Court Hearing: Tues, Jan 26th in Fultonville

January 23rd, 2010 | Author: akagaga

Dan Weaver has posted an article recapping some of the letters to the editor in the Gazette (which you can’t read unless you subscribe.) Included in Dan’s article is the following, with which I strongly concur:

[Fultonville resident Chris] Leis also stated that a court date has been set for the Cressy parents for Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. at the town of Glen Court, Erie Street, Fultonville. Here is an opportunity for people in the Capital District and Mohawk Valley regions of New York State to support parental rights as well as the rights of homeschoolers.

Will you let your voice be heard, or let these people suffer alone?

Category: abuse of power, CPS, Cressy, public school | Leave a Comment

Homeschooler Richard Cressy vs. Sheriff Michael Amato

January 13th, 2010 | Author: akagaga

Details have begun to emerge in the case of homeschoolers Richard and Margie Cressy, who were arrested for child endangerment by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office because they didn’t submit the proper paperwork.

Two stories have piqued my interest. The first is by Trina Darling who paraphrased the conversation of Richard Cressy when he called and spoke with local talk-show host Al Roney. Darling has done a good job of covering this story from the beginning. The second is a letter to the editor written by the sheriff of Montgomery County, Michael Amato, who felt compelled, like Fonda-Fultonville Central School Superintendent Hoffman, to “clarify” misconceptions about this story since it’s gone national.

As these two versions of events appear to be in conflict with one another, I’m taking quotes from each story and re-arranging them to highlight the differences. Those headed “Richard Cressy” are from the Trina Darling paraphrase. Those headed “Sheriff Amato” are from his letter to the editor. I have also interspersed my own comments because … it’s my blog and I can.

Sheriff Amato

These arrests were made for not meeting the responsibilities required by the state of New York for home schooling and for the protection of minor children.

Richard Cressy

Cressy said that when they moved to the town of Glen, they did not register with the Fonda-Fultonville School district. His reason was because when they lived in the Gloversville School district, the GSD didn’t really get involved with them, or seem to care much about it.

Everyone, including the Cressy’s, acknowledge that they had not submitted paperwork, which could be stretched to fit Amato’s “not meeting the responsibilities required by the state of New York for home schooling.” The “protection of minor children” and the child endangerment charges themselves, however, have not been justified. Amato’s own letter confirmed that the children were not removed from the home, which would have happened if they had been in any danger. In fact, from the same Darling article, Cressy stated that when they were arrested, they had already satisfied all the requirements of the school, and CPS was satisfied. The sherriff’s department would not let it go.

Sheriff Amato

It is alleged that the Cressys … could not provide adequate proof that the education of their children had taken place.

Richard Cressy

Cressy was especially upset that the investigator [Gilston] reported to the media (Schenectady Gazette) that he had seen very little sign of schooling at the Cressy home, because when Gilston was at their home, they tried to show him their home school materials, and started getting out books and supplies, and he responded to them that he didn’t need to look at it, and then turned around and reported that he had seen very little evidence.

People usually see what they want to see, as any good investigator who has interviewed witnesses will confirm.

Sheriff Amato

The Cressys were simply issued appearance tickets to appear in court for violating a law

Richard Cressy

Richard and Margie met with the FFSD and got everything set for “now on”. In spite of that, Investigator Gilston told them that it was quite possible that the sheriff’s department would make an example out of them, and this way, it won’t happen in the future. Cressy said that Gilston made this statement a few days before their arrest. He also stated that the sheriff’s department had wanted to arrest them right before Christmas, but that Montgomery County CPS had talked them out of it, so they had waited until after Christmas. Cressy continued by saying that CPS had been very helpful to his family, helping them to get back on track, legal with the school board and the state, but that the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department just wouldn’t seem to let it pass, or let it go.

“Simply issued appearance tickets” sounds so innocuous. In fact, they were fingerprinted, their mugshots were sent with a press release to several local news outlets, and Investigator Gilston was giving interviews – all to make a point. The Cressy’s now have an arrest record, they have lost their privacy, and their lives have been completely disrupted – not to mention the effect this all has had on their children.

Sheriff Amato

The sheriff and staff of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office are required to enforce the law. It is the sworn duty to investigate reported violations and make arrests when that law is violated. The goal of enforcement is to hold those in violation accountable for their actions and attempt to prevent it from occurring in the future.

Quite frankly, this is a load of hogwash. Every sheriff’s officer has the discretion to arrest, to warn, or to ignore. In addition, there are multiple laws on the books that are rarely, if ever, enforced – including adultery. If they decide to enforce that one, then half the sheriff’s department will probably wind up in jail.

It’s worth noting that this is the same Sheriff’s office, with the same Sheriff, who cost Montgomery County millions in a class-action lawsuit over their policy of strip searching everybody they could get their hands on.

A class action lawsuit was filed against the county on behalf of people who were strip searched in jail while facing only minor charges. U.S. District Judge David Hurd issued a permanent injunction barring the Montgomery County Jail from routinely requiring inmates charged with minor crimes to strip and shower in front of a guard. Montgomery County agreed to put $2 million into a fund to pay claims from people strip searched between April 29, 2000 and March 25, 2005. Inmates jailed on misdemeanors, violations, traffic infractions, probation or parole violations or other minor crimes and civil matters are eligible to make claims. (Aug-23-06) [NEWSDAY]

Shame on you, Mike Amato. Shame on you, Bill Gilston. Go find some real criminals and leave the Cressy’s alone.

Category: abuse of power, Al Roney, CPS, Cressy, government thinking, justice, public school | 4 Comments

Richard & Margie Cressy Arrest “Clarified” by School

January 12th, 2010 | Author: akagaga

The following is now posted on the Fonda-Fultonville Central School website:

Addressing questions concerning arrest of parents for failing to register their children

On January 5, 2010, both “The Daily Gazette” newspaper and WRGB television reported that local parents had been charged with endangering the welfare of a child for failing to register their children with the local school district. Although the article was accurate, it did not include all of the details causing many of its readers to draw inaccurate conclusions. In fairness to the family and to the school district, Fonda-Fultonville Central School District Superintendent Dr. James Hoffman issues the following clarification:

All parents living in New York State must register their children with their local school districts, but are then free to choose any state-approved public, private or homeschool option. The registration process merely ensures that every child receives an education.

County agencies investigated and determined that the children of this family were not registered. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office subsequently charged the parents as prescribed by the law.

The district has worked closely with the parents since charges were filed and have assisted the parents in completing all paperwork necessary to comply with state law.

It is the district’s goal to quickly resolve this unfortunate situation, to enable the family to pursue their right to homeschool their children, and to restore their privacy.

free to choose any state-approved public, private or homeschool option Is that the same type of choice we have when boarding a plane, where we can “choose” to be physically assaulted patted down or virtually stripped scanned?
charged the parents as prescribed by the law Where is it written that charges must be placed? Does this same Sheriff’s Office issue a ticket for every speeder they pull over, or make an arrest for every domestic disturbance they’re called to? No, they don’t. They have the ability and the duty to exercise judgment and discretion. Either it was not considered in this case, or someone decided to make a point by releasing mug shots to embarrass the Cressy’s.
The district has worked closely with the parents since charges were filed Assuming that the investigation included contact with the school to ascertain that the children were not registered, why was this help not given to them to prevent their arrest? Again, someone wanted to make a point.
It is the district’s goal to quickly resolve this unfortunate situation Perhaps the feedback was a little more than they had planned for? (A current Google search of Richard and Margie Cressy gets over 25,000 hits.)

I see no “inaccurate conclusions” that have been “clarified” by Hoffman. I still see those in positions of power throwing their weight around and pointedly making a public example out of the Cressy’s, by charging them with the real crime of child endangerment when the children weren’t in any danger at all. The Cressy’s simply didn’t submit the proper paperwork to the proper bureaucrat, which was brought to light by an anonymous tip, rumored to have been placed by a neighbor with a vendetta.

And this is justice in Montgomery County.

Category: abuse of power, Cressy, public school | Leave a Comment

WFW: A Gift of the Lord

January 05th, 2010 | Author: akagaga

My Word for Wednesday this week is more of a rant than usual, and can be found in the post just previous to this one, entitled Montgomery County Homeschooling Parents Arrested. I am incensed that the government continues its assault on families who reject their political agenda.

That said, I would be appreciative of your comments on this subject, either here or at the previous post.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
(Psalms 127:3)

Category: Bible, Christianity, public school, Word for Wednesday | 3 Comments

Montgomery County Homeschooling Parents Arrested

January 05th, 2010 | Author: akagaga

Whose Kids Are They?

A Montgomery County couple has been arrested on child endangerment charges for failing to register their children with the school district as they were home-schooled, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

Richard Cressy, 47, and Margie Cressy, 41, both of the town of Glen, never registered their four children or their home-schooling curriculum with the local school district, said the Sheriff’s Office.

The Superintendent of the Fonda-Fultonville Central School District confirmed the four children, ranging in age from 8 to 14, had not been registered with the school district for the last seven years.

The Cressys were issued appearance tickets to appear in the Town of Glen Court at a later date. The case has been turned over to the Montgomery County District Attorney and the Child Protective Unit.

Child endangerment. That must be serious, because the story was married to another about a woman who was giving alcohol to minors, two of whom had to be treated at a local hospital.

So what did these Cressy criminals do that they were arrested and their mugshots broadcast to the world? What was the danger to their children? Were they drugged or abused? Were they locked in a back room, cut off from the world? Are they illiterate?

No. There have been no allegations that the children have suffered in any way, but given Montgomery County’s history of high-handed interference with parental rights, it’s no surprise that the parents were arrested anyhow – on an anonymous tip, of course.

The evil and nefarious crime that these parents committed was a failure to submit paperwork, emphasis on submit. The superintendent of the Fonda-Fultonville Central School (FFCS), which I reluctantly and repugnantly confess is my alma mater, Dr. Richard Hoffman, told the same TV station that, “We follow the law.” And the law, of course, states that parents who have the audacity to reject the public school system in favor of educating and raising their own children must submit a curriculum for the superintendent’s approval. Hoffman said this has now been done and the Cressy’s curriculum has been approved – but the parents were still arrested.

This demand for blind adherence to the letter of the law is eerily reminiscent of the story of Matthew Whalen , the Troy Eagle Scout who was suspended for keeping a survival kit with a 2″ pocketknife locked in his car on school grounds. As Whalen’s father so eloquently stated:

“I don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask for some intelligence on the part of administrators to use discretion and judgment in their daily decisions,” said Bryan Whalen. “Otherwise, what are we paying them for?

“You could have a trained monkey or a computer sitting there just spitting out right and wrong and never any gray areas. That’s just not the way the world works,” he told Foxnews.com.

I’d wager that discretion and judgment are not in the curriculum to train school superintendents. They’re probably not in the FFCS curriculum, either, but that’s to be expected. They’re much too busy developing the popular Participation in Government class (PIG), where the kids learn how to apply for welfare and food stamps.

And then, of course, the administration has to develop and document policies for doing strip searches:

Strip searches may only be conducted by an authorized school official of the same sex as the student being searched and in the presence of another district professional employee who is also of the same sex as the student.

[Note to Hoffman: You might want to re-think this same sex requirement in fairness to your homosexual teachers and/or students.]

If [sic] every case, the school official conducting a strip search may [sic] have probably [sic] cause – not simply reasonable cause – to believe the student is concealing evidence of a violation of law or the district code.

[Note 2 to Hoffman: You might also want to run these policies by the English department before posting them. A couple years ago I sent an email pointing out multiple typographical and grammatical errors on your website, but this situation has obviously not improved.]

Proper English aside, the real issue underlying this whole arrest scenario and the complete disruption of the Cressy family, of course, is power.

Whose Kids Are They?

Do they belong to the state? The state obviously thinks so, just like the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Treaty proposal, which would “give the government the ability to override every decision made by every parent if a government worker disagreed with the parent’s decision.”

This mindset conforms with the Deliberate Dumbing Down of America, the socialist agenda behind church transformation, health care reform, education reform, and welfare reform – in short, the long-planned “transformation” of our free society.

Rest assured that if you challenge this mindset, you might be arrested just like the Cressy’s.

Whose Kids Are They?

Did you sign on as short-term parents? Do your responsibilities end when the kids are five and you can turn them over to the state babysitter?

Whose Kids Are They?

I applaud Richard and Margie Cressy for doing what most parents are too fearful, selfish, or brainwashed to even attempt.

I deplore the actions of Dr. Hoffman, the Fonda-Fultonville Central School, the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery County Child Protective Services for flexing their muscles to make an example of the Cressy’s. All have over-stepped the bounds of their authority, demonstrating everything abhorrent in power-hungry, egotistical bureaucrats.

Whose Kids Are They?

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
(Psalms 127:3)