INTIMIDATION

Following is theh text of an Oct.28 Press Release.

Farmington Hills– Two  long-established and popular Farmington Hills  restaurants have been targets of political intimidation for their support of  candidates Dr. Irving Ginsberg and Dr. Murray Kahn who are  challenging the incumbents in the upcoming
Farmington Public Schools board elections.

Brass Pointe and Ginopolis on the Grill were threatened with  economic retaliation by a woman who identified herself as an employee of the Farmington  public school district.  According to the  proprietors of both eateries, the woman caller harangued their employees and  told them that if they did not immediately remove the campaign signs of  challengers to the board, no teacher would dine there again, nor would they  host any district functions at their restaurants.

While both restaurants also have campaign signs on their  properties endorsing candidates for city council, it was only the signs for FPS  board challengers Ginsberg and Kahn that elicited the threat of a boycott  against their restaurants.

The Farmington  Public School District  has yet to publicly issue any kind of statement regarding this incident,
despite appeals to the superintendent to communicate not only to FPS employees,  but to the public at large that this kind of behavior is unacceptable to the  district.   Thus far, FPS has yet to make  publicly available any memo to district staff condemning such political
harassment.

“It is most regrettable that FPS, by its silence on these  troubling reports of retaliation against two well-respected Farmington
businesses, is signaling tacit approval,” stated Dr. Ginsberg.  “The district should be sending an  unequivocal message to students and the community that this is not the kind of  civics we teach.”

Added Dr. Kahn, “I would hope the district would issue a  statement and set a higher standard as an example for our students. You can’t  claim to be out front on bullying and then stand by silently when it occurs.”