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Newspaper
Newly organized community group
ensures free speech of citizens
By Mike Collier
In response to the
recent events surrounding the South Glens Falls Board of
Education, a community group called the South Glens Falls
Concerned Citizens has been organized. The events that
triggered the creation of the group include the creation of
a DVD presentation, shown at the Boys’ Soccer banquet on
November 28, that was deemed inappropriate by some members
of the public. Also, at the March 19 Board of Education
meeting, when Tim Curley, the parent of a soccer player,
attempted to read a statement before the Board during open
session, he was ordered by Board President Virginia Philo
not to speak, as she felt that his views were already known
by the public and more statements would be unnecessary.
Mrs. Philo’s actions at this meeting were in complete
accordance to all bylaws of the Board. The mission statement
on the South Glens Falls Concerned Citizens website (www.sgfcc.com)
states that the group consists of “community members who are
concerned over the direction that our school board and
administration are taking our great community.” The group
believes that the Board should work toward
“community-service, not self-service.” The school district’s
website (www.sgfallssd.org)
includes a mission statement which closely resembles that of
the SGFCC, stating its goal is to develop citizens who are
“respectful, sensitive, and responsible in acknowledging and
accepting diversity in the world today.” The SGFCC website
includes a link directing the viewer to both the unedited
version of the soccer presentation along with an altered
version that, according to the website, is being handed out
as the original version. The designer of the SGFCC website
forwarded questions regarding the purpose and intention of
the website to the website’s owner, and at press time, no
responses were received. An interview was requested with
Mrs. Philo as well, but she did not reply by press time.
- The Paw Print
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