SPARTA TEEN QUESTIONED OVER COMMENTS TO BOARD

SPARTA -- Freedom of speech continues to be a discussion topic three
weeks after Anthony Maitilasso, a 16-year-old high school junior,
faced repercussions over comments he made at a board of education
meeting.

His mother, Mary Ann Maitilasso, said Sparta School Resource Officer
Keith Hanum told her on Tuesday, Feb. 12, that a complaint had been
filed against her son by Gary Larson, teachers' union representative
for Sparta High School. Hanum told her to bring her son to the
police station to answer questions and sign a statement. Maitilasso
refused and said they would hear from her lawyer.

Sparta schools chief, Dr. Thomas Morton was at a conference out of
town when the teen was summoned by police, and learned of the
incident when he returned on Tuesday, Feb. 19. Hanum told Morton he
asked the Maitilassos to come to the police station because Larson
filed a complaint against the boy. Hanum also told Morton that police
looked into the matter, decided it had no merit and dropped it.

Sparta Public Information Officer, Sergeant Ron Casteel, had a
different version.. He said Larson went to police to request they
"investigate allegations made by the boy," and that no complaint was
filed against him.

Board of Education Vice President Richard Sullivan said the board
knew nothing about any action taken against Anthony.

The student spoke against the district's random drug testing program.
He said teachers should be tested as well, calling it a "double
standard" if only students are tested. He cited the example of a
teacher he said was found with cocaine in a high school bathroom in
2006. The teacher in question was subsequently relieved of teaching
duties, but officials said the drug incident was not proven. Sullivan
reminded Anthony that it was an "alleged" incident, and the boy said,
"Okay, 'alleged', but everyone knew about it."

In addition to this statement, Maitilasso also said he'd heard high
school journalism classes were told by teacher David Decrescenzi that
the board requested no student newspaper articles be permitted on the
subject of drug testing or on conflicts at board meetings.

According to Maitilasso, he was summoned to Acting Principal James
Bevere's office on Thursday, Feb. 7, and questioned by Bevere and
Dean of Students Catherine Goodwin about his comments. He said
another student, Erica Pharr, was also called to the office and they
first discussed the censorship issue. He said, "First, we cleared
that up. They said it was okay and we could write anything we want.
Then they got really mad about the drug testing and teacher thing."

Bevere and Goodwin told Anthony that both the board and the teachers
union were upset with his comments. He said they wanted him to write
a retraction of the statements he'd made to the board, apologize to
them and the teachers, and then sign a statement naming other
teachers he knew who were doing drugs. He refused, saying he never
implied he knew of other teachers, only the one he spoke of.

His mother said she was incensed. "First of all, to question my son
like that and try to coerce him to sign a statement without a parent
present, is unbelievable," she said. "I want to know, who told Bevere
to do this? He wasn't even at the meeting." She continued, "And how
does this justify a call from the police telling us we have to go to
the station and sign something? It's just ridiculous. They're trying
to punish my son for speaking out. They're violating his First
Amendment rights, and they can't do that."

Morton said he questioned Bevere, who initially denied the boy's
account of the incident, saying he spoke to the boy only about the
censorship issue. Later, Bevere revised his statement admitting he
warned the student about the ramifications of talking publicly about
the teacher.

In an interview last Thursday, Bevere said he called the student to
his office to clear up the censorship issue and mentioned he'd been
told what the boy said regarding the alleged teacher and cocaine
incident. He said, "I told him to be careful with public statements
like that because if he had mentioned a name, he could be subject to
a libel suit."

Bevere said he suggested Anthony write an apology to the board for
the statement about censorship and about the alleged teacher
incident. He also said the student alluded to knowing other teachers
who do drugs and Bevere said, "My job is to keep the kids in this
school safe. If someone knows anybody on my staff doing drugs, I
want names." He said he asked Anthony to write names down, but the
student refused saying he never implied knowing others, and wouldn't
tell him if he did.

Bevere said at no time was the student "bullied, and no disciplinary
action has been taken against him. Maitilasso's view is the
questioning was tough, that he was "cornered" and the attempt was to
"intimidate him." Erica Pharr, the other student present during the
questioning, confirmed Anthony's account of what happened in Bevere's
office.

Bevere was asked why Larson made this a police matter, and he said he
was unaware Larson had contacted police. "You'll have to talk to him
about that," he said, "especially if that's a union matter."

Larson said he could make no comment on a student related
issue.

The Maitilassos have not heard from police since Feb. 12, but are
still outraged over these events. They said they believe what
happened was a coordinated effort by the teachers' union, the board,
and the high school administration to intimidate students who are
beginning to speak out at board meetings.

Anthony said, "I'm just the first of many to give the board and the
high school administration a head ache. Students are starting to see
the reality of the situation and the truth is getting out."