McGroarty Issues Apology For Pledge Incident at Mill Creek School

Here is the full text of Colin McGroarty's apology, posted on Facebook at about 9:20 a.m. Jan. 14:

Apology to Geneva area residents

I would like to apologize to Geneva area residents for unintentionally contributing to a heightened state of fear in the local area. My poor choice of wording in the publicly released statement after witnessing the children in the afternoon kindergarten class promising to obey rules and teachers while performing the Pledge of Allegiance was open to misinterpretation. Please understand that generating fear was not the intent. The event left me horrified and in a heightened emotional state due to my own personal knowledge and experience (knowledge of American history to include Eugenics, the genocide of my own people in Latvia, and the training of children by teachers to turn their parents in for differing political views in Soviet occupied Latvia).

Please rest assured that at NO POINT were the children or school officials ever threatened. In fact, anyone who actually knows me will tell you there is nobody you’d rather have between children and a threat than Colin M. McGroarty. It is because of my love and desire to protect children that I felt it was so important to get the word out.

On the day in question I twice asked to speak to the principal at Mill Creek School before the “disturbance” and was twice denied. The fact that school officials were unwilling to discuss the subject, further increased my concern. I’d also like to clarify that the “disturbance” where I told the children they shouldn’t promise to follow rules when they don’t know what the rules are and to ask their parents about the Nazis and why this lesson is important, did NOT include any profanity. While I have no doubt that had school officials been willing to discuss the issue, the outcome would have been quite different, that does not excuse my releasing such a statement without first having someone else proofread the statement, and distracts from the real issue with which I’m concerned. This is especially true given the current climate of fear generated by some of the horrible tragedies that have occurred in our great Country as of late.

For the record, I will also state there was no police involvement at Mill Creek Elementary School when I was present, despite what may have been reported in some of the local newspapers. I even spoke with a Kane County Sheriff this past week who stated that the papers had even misreported their involvement in the situation.

Related Content

• 3rd UPDATE: Dad's Dispute Over School Pledge Prompts Police Presence at Mill Creek Elementary in Geneva
• McGroarty Issued 'No-Trespass Order' at Mill Creek After Pledge Dispute
• District 304 to Community: Safety Is Top Priority in Geneva Schools

Opinion

• McGroarty Should Be Arrested and Charged
• Some Area Schools Do Show Disdain for the Pledge of Allegiance—I Have Seen It

Want to Stay Up on School and Public Safety Issues in and Around Geneva?

• Bookmark  Geneva.Patch.Com on your home computer or laptop.
• Like our Geneva Patch Facebook page.
• Follow us on Twitter at @PatchGeneva.
• Sign up for  Geneva Patch's newsletter and breaking news alerts .

Click the "Keep Me Posted" button below this text.