The superintendent of schools in Lexington, Mass., said it all started when two first-grade boys argued over who should sit where in the cafeteria.
|
|
|  | |
| David Parker claims his son was assaulted at a Lexington, Mass., school following a campaign to stop Estabrook Elementary School from including information about same-sex parents in its curriculum. (Photo by Tom Landers/AP) | |
One of them punched the other several times on the playground while at least five children stood by and watched, the superintendent said.
But according to a Massachusetts group that opposes gay rights, a band of first-graders singled out 7-year-old Jacob Parker for a schoolyard "beating" in retaliation for his father's campaign to stop Estabrook Elementary School from including information about same-sex parents in its curriculum.
The May 17 incident was triggered by a climate of anti-conservative hate created by those who support gay marriage and the teaching of homosexuality in the schools, the group Mass Resistance said.
"He was taken around the corner of the school building out of sight of the patrolling aides, with the taunting and encouragement of other kids," Mass Resistance said in a statement on its website. "Jacob was then positioned against the wall for what appeared to be a well-planned and coordinated assault."
Mass Resistance insisted in its statement that it was not a coincidence that the May 17 incident took place on the anniversary of the legal recognition of same-sex marriage in Massachusetts.
Lexington school superintendent Paul B. Ash disputed the Mass Resistance account, saying a thorough investigation conducted by the school's principal showed the incident stemmed from a squabble over cafeteria seating that continued during an outdoor recess period.
"These were two first-graders having a child squabble on a playground," Ash told the Boston Globe. "Some adults are exploiting these children for political purposes."
Click for Full Text!