Lind won’t

file lawsuit

In June 2007, I was fired by Independent School District 719 after five years of service. At the time, I was employed as a campus supervisor. My duties included security, truancy and emergency-procedure drills. Over time, I developed a rapport with the students, many of whom solicited my advice on various school-related and personal matters.

In time, my role expanded because of the positive relationships I built with students and the administration. I was asked to participate in events outside of my specific job description, including monitoring student sections at games, dances and other events. I monitored and advised various clubs, including the Prior Lake Bible Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The administration encouraged and rewarded my participation in these endeavors. In June 2006, I was nominated for high school paraprofessional of the year.

In August 2006, I was advised that a “parent” had complained about a discussion I had with a Prior Lake High School “student.” It was alleged that the “student’s” parents were uncomfortable because our discussion involved decisions regarding sexual abstinence and orientation. In fact, I simply reinforced his values and decisions he made on his own. But more importantly, the “student” was not a student. The young man was a 19-year-old former student who had graduated from PLHS. As a result of this alleged incident, I received a written reprimand containing many directives.

In December 2006, a student approached me to ask advice about his bisexual girlfriend. I addressed his questions for about two minutes. There were no other conversations. A janitor was present. He reported the conversation to administration. I received a written reprimand, stating that I could not discuss “… your position on premarital relationships and abstinence.” The administration attempted to control my behavior outside school. The written reprimand of Jan. 3, 2007 included the following statement: “These conversations include conversations on and off school district property as well as conversations both during and outside of your work hours.” I was then suspended for three days.

In addition, I was reprimanded for a humorous statement made to a lesbian student and an off-campus discussion with a group of students. The student was not offended. In fact, she defended me to the administration and, at my attorney’s request, provided a statement supporting me.

I was terminated on June 18, 2007. This, despite the fact that no student or parent has ever complained of my conduct involving any Prior Lake High School student, either on or off campus (other than the parent of the adult former student).

In November 2007 the citizens of Prior Lake and Savage elected me to the School Board. My campaign focused on fiscal responsibility.

Although my attorney, David Thompson, has advised me to move forward with a lawsuit, I have decided not to do so. I choose to forgive those who have wronged me and move on. My family and the community have been through enough.

Chris Lind

Savage

Future leaders

learn from vets

On April 11, the hallways of the government center were busier than usual. One hundred middle school students from across Scott County were invited to participate in the seventh annual Future Leaders Day.

After being paired with a county employee who would be their mentor for the day, the students attended a canine demonstration by Deputy Sheriff Marshall Emerson and his police dog and a tour of the 911 dispatch center. The day of interactive and hands-on events included a mock courtroom trial, a mock county board meeting and discovery activities throughout the courthouse. The purpose of the event is to give students the opportunity to learn about and experience various aspects of county government.This event would not be possible without the assistance and financial support of citizen volunteers and veterans from the VFW posts, the American Legion posts and ladies auxiliaries in Scott County. These volunteers interact and communicate with the students throughout the day during the various activities. Conversations overheard during lunch time between these distinct generations demonstrate a genuine interest in the questions asked and the stories shared. Each was learning something from the other. One of the students was surprised to learn that some Scott County veterans are women.Special thanks to Jim Cates, Bob Wickman, Dominic Emanuel, James Conroy, Thomas Thompson, and Richard Rogozinski from Prior Lake for their help on Future Leaders Day, their willingness to serve our country and the many things they continue to do for our community.

Barbara Marschall

Scott County commissioner

Prior Lake 

Can the

trash talk

 Recently, there was an article in the Prior Lake American regarding trash removal.

OK, we don’t get it. With all of the issues we are facing in this community in the next few years – a $500,000 budget cut, slow housing development, development issues in Scott County, just to name a few – there must be more important issues on which the mayor and council can and should focus.

We don’t see the need for changes. We are home each day, and the garbage haulers have not created any problems or unsightly issues. If the council is short of issues to deal with, here’s a suggestion: Perhaps they should work with landlords to clean up several of the rental properties on Franklin Trail, which is a main roadway and one of the most rundown and unsightly areas in Prior Lake. Another tangible problem, at least in our neighborhood, is incessantly barking dogs. They are really a nuisance and have been an ongoing problem, a much worse problem than the garbage trucks the council is so concerned about.

So, City Council – get with it, pay attention to the real issues in our city, and quit trying to create problems where there are none. 

Marilyn and Michael Miller

Prior Lake

Correction is

appreciated

I want to thank Mr. [Bert] Keel for pointing out that I had overstated the effect of melted floating ice on the ocean’s elevation [letters, May 3]. That was very astute, and I appreciate his knowledge of physics and his quotes from Wolfgang and Albert.He also mentioned the large mass of ice in Greenland and Antarctica.Antarctica dwarfs Greenland and is the greatest ice generator in the world, turning what little precipitation they receive immediately into ice. It is the coldest place in the world, setting the record of minus 129 degrees Fahrenheit. The coast in summer will average 30 degrees Fahrenheit in the warmest month, two degrees below freezing.The earth’s temperature has increased approximately 1 degree in the last 100 years. I will leave it up to others to project how much the earth’s temperature will have to increase and the time it would take to melt the Antarctica icecap.

It may be a bit early to buy a houseboat.

John Benedict

Prior Lake

Robotics team

says thanks

As we just finished our last meeting of the Prior Lake robotics team, I wanted to say a huge, heartfelt “thank you” to the people who have helped and sponsored our team this season.

Our team is entirely self-funded through generous contributions from Integra Telecom, the Prior Lake Optimist Club and our main sponsor, Boston Scientific. Without them, we would not be able to travel to the competitions, let alone pay the $6,000 entry fee or the thousands of dollars in parts, tools and equipment needed to build a new robot each season.

This year, we again competed at the highest level possible at the Milwaukee Regional, making it to the championship round and taking home the second-place trophy, and we made it to the quarterfinals at the Minnesota Regional. It was a fantastic experience for the kids. I also want to thank Brad from Al’s True Value Hardware for his generous support in both supplies and spirit, John Titus and Devin Lackie for their knowledge and engineering support, and of course the parents for their time in getting the kids to and from practice.

Joseph Passofaro

Prior Lake robotics team

D.A.R.E. Day

thanks

On behalf of the Prior Lake Rotary Club, we would like to thank the people in the Prior Lake-Savage area for their support of the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program and for their participation in D.A.R.E. Day 2008.

Over 700 people braved the weather and were rewarded with a grand Saturday morning. It’s great to see people come together and create a family event that benefits the entire community. The D.A.R.E. program is strong in Prior Lake because of the support that it gets from the community, and you’ve proven that time and time again for the last 18 years. Your support has raised over $500,000 in support of D.A.R.E.

Special thanks have to be given to the Prior Lake maintenance, police and fire departments for their help with this year’s event, but most importantly, thank you once again to the people and students of Prior Lake and Savage for their support of the D.A.R.E. program and making this year’s D.A.R.E. Day one of the best ever.

Kyle Haugen

Jeremy Stangler

Rod Ammerman

Prior Lake Rotary