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TRESPASS TRIAL-OTTAWA
>>>
>>>P R E S S R E L E A S E FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>>>August 24/00
>>>
>>>Contact: Marilyn Saunders and Greg Bonnah 613-746-2997 or
>>>Cellular-613-220-5761
>>>Contact: Jane Scharf-1-613-258-6176
>>>Contact: Mary Anne Kazmierski-1-613-824-7469 or 1-819-671-2777
>>>
>>>GREG BONNAH"S TRIAL FOR TRESPASS CHARGES
>>>
>>>A three hour trial has been set for Greg Bonnah father of Zachary a nine
>>>year old disabled for Thursday, August 24, 2000 at 9:OO am-12:00 pm. The
>>>trial will be held at the Elgin Street Court. The court will hear Greg's
>>>defense arguments of business in the building and constitutional right
>>>to equality in education. Zachary Greg's son was locked out of
>>>Rockcliffe Park his designated school for three days every since January
>>>2000. The Ottawa Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) refused to
>>>provide necessary support and services for him on these days and refused
>>>him entrance. Greg was arrested for walking his son into school on
>>>attendance prohibited days.
>>>
>>>Greg will be arguing his own case because there are no lawyers available
>>>that have the expertise to take this case which would have to combine
>>>education, criminal and constitutional law. ARCH and REACH have both
>>>claimed they have no lawyer competent to handle this case and know of no
>>>lawyer who is able to take it on. Lawyer referral was also been unable
>>>to identify any lawyer capable of handling this case.
>>>
>>>Greg will ask the court for procedural leeway. He plans to argue that by
>>>arresting him for trespassing while walking his son into school the
>>>Trespass Act is being used to violate Zacahary's constitutional rights
>>>under section 15 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which guarantees
>>>equality in education for disabled children. Equality of education
>>>entails both access to the school and accommodations where Zachary is
>>>denied both three days per week.
>>>
>>>As Greg understands it Zachary will be locked out five days per week as
>>>of September 2000.
>>>
>>>Greg says, "In Canada parents of minors like myself in this case are
>>>entrusted to assert the rights of their dependent children. The Trespass
>>>Act is being used against me so that I cannot ensure my child an
>>>education."
>>>
>>>Jane Scharf says, I meet with Greg, Beth Lynch of the Victim Crisis Unit
>>>and Sergeant Longpre of the Youth Services Bureau of the Ottawa Carleton
>>>Regional Police on June 6/2000 to discuss ways to try and resolve these
>>>issues. These Police officers stated that it was not Zachary who was
>>>barred from the school it was Greg. Therefore these officers said the
>>>Trespass Act was not used against the child only the father. However, I
>>>had tried to bring Zachary to School myself on June 1, 2000 after Greg
>>>had been charged three times when he walked Zachary into school. I
>>>brought Zachary to the door of the school and two Regional Police
>>>officers and Superintendent Stollery met us there. When I approached
>>>them to turn Zachary over I was told to leave the property or I would be
>>>arrested. I said goodbye to Zachary and began to leave. They took
>>>Zachary by the hand and followed me to the edge of the school property
>>>and let Zachary go. Greg who was standing at the edge of the school
>>>property stated to the police and school officials that I had his
>>>permission to drop off Zachary at school. I went to walk back on the
>>>property with Zachary and I was told I will be arrested if I reentered .
>>>I said I am prepared to risk arrest and then the officer said we will
>>>call CAS on Zachary if you leave him and report him abandoned in
>>>addition to charged to you.
>>>
>>>Marilyn Saunders says, my husband Greg was arrested twice for
>>>trespassing and once for criminal mischief for walking our son into
>>>school. After the Police officers told Jane and Greg that the Trespass
>>>Act was only being used to keep Greg out of the school. However, this
>>>does not I walked Zachary into school June 12, 2000 on one of the
>>>prohibited days and I was told that if I did not take him home I to
>>>would be barred from the school as Greg was. It is most definitely
>>>Zachary who is being barred from the school.
>>>
>>>Mary Anne Kazmierski of Integration Action Group, states that the right
>>>to access and accommodation in education has been won already by parents
>>>of disabled children in court yet these educational bureaucrats still
>>>think they can arbitrarily bar a disabled child from attending school.
>>>
>>>Spokesperson for the Canadian Action Party, Kenneth Fernandez, LLB
>>>(Advisor on Constitutional and International Law says, "This
>>>victimization of Zachary - of those most vulnerable in Canada is the
>>>result of government's relentless pursuit of corporate profits so well
>>>entrenched in the FTA and NAFTA and clearly articulated in the IMF
>>>briefings to Paul Martin. How many more children will we allow
>>>governments to sacrifice on the alter of greed?!"
>>>
>>>-30-
>>>
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