www.abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/gunfliers001013.html
Gun Group Sues School
Claims Denial of Free Debate Over ‘Smart Gun’ Law
By Amy Westfeldt
The Associated Press
N E W A R K, N.J., Oct. 13 — John Montenigro and Joan Furlong believe in
educating children about gun safety.
“You have no idea how much money we’ve spent on gun cabinets,” said
Montenigro, who keeps guns in his Montclair home, locked away from his
9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.
But when his children came home in June with a Ceasefire New Jersey flier
promoting a rally supporting a bill that paves the way for the sale of smart
guns in New Jersey, he thought that was the wrong kind of education.
“We are trying to bring information to children that will prevent accidental
deaths and injuries,” Montenigro said, noting that smart gun technology
wouldn’t become a reality for many years. “What are we doing about our
children’s safety right now?”
He and his wife, Joan Furlong, asked the Montclair Board of Education to
distribute another flier to the district’s 6,100 students, announcing a rally
against the bill. The district agreed to post the flier on a bulletin board,
but would not distribute it, they said.
Fighting For Equal Debate Forum
Montenigro, Furlong and two other Montclair residents are plaintiffs in a
federal civil rights lawsuit filed today by the Association of New Jersey
Rifle and Pistol Clubs against the Montclair school district.
The lawsuit accuses the Board of Education of violating the right to equal
protection under the law by failing as a public institution to give both
sides of a debate an equal forum.
“What we have is a clear-cut case of discrimination in favor of one point of
view over another,” said Harry Kresky, a First Amendment lawyer hired by the
gun organization to file the lawsuit.
Officials from Montclair schools didn’t immediately return a telephone call
seeking comment today.But the executive director of Ceasefire New Jersey
acknowledged today that the group does not normally distribute fliers in
schools and said the content of it “may have been a little overzealous.”
Opposing Smart Gun Views
Bryan Miller said the group has a chapter in Montclair and believes most
residents are committed to the group’s gun safety politics. He said he would
have had no problem with the distribution of a flier opposing his rally.
Furlong said the issue with the flier was not the first time Montclair school
officials failed to consider alternate points of view on gun safety. The
district sent home fliers with children in May advertising a forum on gun
safety following the arrests of two Montclair High School students on charges
of illegal gun trading, she said.
The district denied her requests to speak at the forum or allow panelists
representing her point of view, she said.
At the June 1 forum, city officials announced support for the Trenton rally
supporting the smart gun bill, she said. The Ceasefire New Jersey flier was
sent home with children on June 6.
Gun Group Sues School
Claims Denial of Free Debate Over ‘Smart Gun’ Law
By Amy Westfeldt
The Associated Press
N E W A R K, N.J., Oct. 13 — John Montenigro and Joan Furlong believe in
educating children about gun safety.
“You have no idea how much money we’ve spent on gun cabinets,” said
Montenigro, who keeps guns in his Montclair home, locked away from his
9-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son.
But when his children came home in June with a Ceasefire New Jersey flier
promoting a rally supporting a bill that paves the way for the sale of smart
guns in New Jersey, he thought that was the wrong kind of education.
“We are trying to bring information to children that will prevent accidental
deaths and injuries,” Montenigro said, noting that smart gun technology
wouldn’t become a reality for many years. “What are we doing about our
children’s safety right now?”
He and his wife, Joan Furlong, asked the Montclair Board of Education to
distribute another flier to the district’s 6,100 students, announcing a rally
against the bill. The district agreed to post the flier on a bulletin board,
but would not distribute it, they said.
Fighting For Equal Debate Forum
Montenigro, Furlong and two other Montclair residents are plaintiffs in a
federal civil rights lawsuit filed today by the Association of New Jersey
Rifle and Pistol Clubs against the Montclair school district.
The lawsuit accuses the Board of Education of violating the right to equal
protection under the law by failing as a public institution to give both
sides of a debate an equal forum.
“What we have is a clear-cut case of discrimination in favor of one point of
view over another,” said Harry Kresky, a First Amendment lawyer hired by the
gun organization to file the lawsuit.
Officials from Montclair schools didn’t immediately return a telephone call
seeking comment today.But the executive director of Ceasefire New Jersey
acknowledged today that the group does not normally distribute fliers in
schools and said the content of it “may have been a little overzealous.”
Opposing Smart Gun Views
Bryan Miller said the group has a chapter in Montclair and believes most
residents are committed to the group’s gun safety politics. He said he would
have had no problem with the distribution of a flier opposing his rally.
Furlong said the issue with the flier was not the first time Montclair school
officials failed to consider alternate points of view on gun safety. The
district sent home fliers with children in May advertising a forum on gun
safety following the arrests of two Montclair High School students on charges
of illegal gun trading, she said.
The district denied her requests to speak at the forum or allow panelists
representing her point of view, she said.
At the June 1 forum, city officials announced support for the Trenton rally
supporting the smart gun bill, she said. The Ceasefire New Jersey flier was
sent home with children on June 6.