012397Letter on Christe Was Without Merit

To the Editor:

I am responding to a letter addressed personally to me and published in last week's edition of "The Patent Trader." I must say I am not in the habit of reading my private mail. in a newspaper.

Why did you print the F.L.H.S.A. co-president's letter without at least first contacting me? I might have been able to offer facts contradicting their allegations and assumptions, which might have prompted you, in turn, to either not publish the letter or to fairly include my response. You postponed the deadline for letters to the editor for them; you could have done the same for me.

As a result, many will have read their letter and not read mine.

On Jan. 13, 1997 a friend and high school parent invited me to attend a discussion sponsored by the F.L.H.S.A. at the Fox Lane High School on "Adolescent Sexuality - Everything you wanted to know about your teen's sexuality but were afraid to ask, or afraid to know!" I decided to attend.

Being that none of my four young children yet attend the high school, my friend verified with the co-president in a phone call that the meeting was open to all.

In the past, I have openly recorded other public meetings on school grounds. Last year at the West Patent Elementary School, for example, I openly audio taped a presentatio;.

discussion after the PTA business meeting on the new language arts framework given by the district's assistant superintendent of cufficulum. No objections were registered privately or publicly as to the prophety of legality of my presence, comments or audio taping.

I decided to videotape the presentation of teenage sexuality. It is obviously an important subject to parents like myself who could not attend last Monday's meeting. Dr. Nieburg is

not only an area psychologist who in that capacity addresses frequently district students, but he is also a current member of the Bedford Central Board of Education.

When I began to record after the business meeting concluded, the copresidents and Dr. Nieburg objected to my recording the ensuing parental discussion for fear that my camera might inhibit a frank discussion. I readily complied. I did, however, get Dr. Nieburg's consent to record his opening remarks. No further taping was done.

I attend many public meetings dealing with education. I myself sponsored a public discussion last year on the phonics vs. whole language controversy. Dr. Nieburg was interested and kind enough to attend and freely offered his thoughts.

I have never attended nor will I attend a private meeting. It never has been nor will it ever be necessary to call the police to have me forcibly removed from a PTA sponsored presentation as the F.L.H.S.A. co-presidents have threatened.

Again,* I am sorry you printed the private letter and compounded this lapse in judgment by not giving me a chance to simultaneously respond.

Philip Christe