7/28/2019 Democrats For Education Reform Support Garcia Family

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DEMOCRATS CALlFORNlAorEDlJCATlON REFORM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:Email: California@dfer.qrgSylvia@dfer.orgPhone: (323) 379-3450

Author of Nation's First Parent Trigger Law Demands Dropping of Felony Charges Against Garcia Family for "Theft of Educational Services" Calls for U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Education Investigation into Montgomery County District Attorney & Ending of Zip-Code Education

MIAMI - March 27 , 2013, The California Director of Democrats for Education Reform andauthor of the nation's first Parent Trigger law, Senator Gloria Romero ( Ret.) joined anational coalition of civil rights activists, parents, and community leaders in demanding thedropping of felony charges against Mr. And Mrs. Hamlet Garcia for "theft of educationalservices"."It is unconscionable that parents who dare to break the chains of a zip-coded educationsystem are being threatened with imprisonment for up to seven years", stated Romero."Education is the civil rights issue of our time. The Garcias-- naturalized immigrants-understand that education is the path to the American Dream and why they chose to becomeU.S. citizens.We unequivocally stand in support of Mr. and Mrs. Garcia and call for the complete dismissalof these outrageous criminal charges against them. Clearly, the Montgomery County DistrictAttorney is choosing to engage in a racially discriminatory prosecution against this family.We call upon both the U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Justice to

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7/28/2019 Democrats For Education Reform Support Garcia Family

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not only join us in rejecting the constitutionality of residency based education, but demandan immediate investigation into the unethical and illegal practices of the PennsylvaniaDistrict Attorney," she stated.Mr. and Mrs. Hamlet Garcia are Philadelphia parents who are being charged with"educational theft" and face up to seven years in prison if convicted. The Garcias enrolledtheir 5-year old daughter in a school outside her assigned elementary school for two monthsduring a brief marital separation. The Garcias offered to reimburse the district but theiroffer was refused with the D.A. vowing to "make an example" of the Garcias. At the time thecharges were filed against the Garcias, there were less than fifteen minori ty ethnic childrenenrolled in that particular school."1 wrote the Parent Trigger and Open Enrollment laws in California in order to empowerparents. This bullying ofthe Garcias by the D.A. should unite all of us-- irrespective ofpolitical persuasion-- to join together to demand respect for parents who fight for thebetterment of their children's educational futures", stated Romero.Senator Romero (Ret.) wrote the Parent Empowerment Act ("Parent Trigger") in 2010 whichprovides for greater rights for parents whose children are trapped in chronicallyunderperforming schools. Versions of her bill have been considered by some twenty statesin the nation.

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