Troy Band director caught with his pants down

[The Hatter]

And by this I mean literally. To quote Troy Daily News reporter Dana Rasmussen's front page story today.

"Troy High School band director John Purdy was arrested at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at Triangle Park in Dayton for engaging in sexual activity with two other men.
Purdy was charged with public indecency, a misdemeanor, and taken to the Montgomery County Jail, according to First District Commander Lt. Michael Wilhelm of the Dayton Police Department. A fourth man was arrested at another location after leaving the park.
According to police reports, Purdy asked an undercover Dayton police officer to be a “look out” for cops while he engaged in sexual activity near a shelter in the park. Purdy was arrested soon after other officers were called to the scene.
Wilhelm said Purdy immediately asked for his attorney and refused to answer any questions.
Troy City Schools Supt. Tom Dunn said Purdy has been placed on administrative leave pending resolution of the criminal charges and will not have any contact with students.
“Our top priority, besides trying to figure out what happened, is to make sure our kids are taken care of,” Dunn said.
Dunn said public indecency is on a “long list” of crimes that can lead to the barring of employment for school employees.
“We’re trying to find out exactly what the charges are,” Dunn said. “As (Purdy) works through his whole criminal proceedings ... he’s not going to be here teaching kids until all of this gets rectified. He’s been arrested; he hasn’t been convicted. We have to make sure his rights are taken care of as well.”
Triangle Park has a long history as a site for sexual activity and frequently is patrolled by the Dayton City Police.
“We’ve made about up to about 30 arrests for this kind of behavior during the last year at the park,” Wilhelm said. “This type of behavior has been an ongoing problem in this specific park. We deal with (this) on a pretty consistent basis. Unfortunately, the park has gotten a reputation and word gets passed around and people keep showing up and we keep arresting them. We’ve probably made 300-400 arrests in the time I’ve been here.”
Attempts to reach Purdy were unsuccessful as of press time."

Now being a part of the band for a long time, not to mention having many friends who have been and still are in the Band program at Troy High School. I have to say that my suspisions where correct about J.P. While I would have much rather found out in not such a damaging circumstance, my suspisions where correct none the less.

While I don't like John Purdy personaly, and while I do find this whole state of affairs comic in a rather dark fashion, I wouldn't have wished his career to come to a grinding hault like it's going to. But if you know someone who is still in Troy's band, or is having a hard time with this, please call them and tell them that it's going to be allright...

Bringing you the News as it happens...I'm Tom Brocha....err..wait..Kerez D'ull ^^

[Dyne]

John Purdy is a great man that did so much for the music program for THS. Not only was he the best music teacher I have ever had he was also a great friend outside of school. The man is a hero to many students and he will remain so even after this incident.

He may have made a bad decision but so have all of us. I feel like I have to defend him. Maybe you don't like him and thats fine but you should look at all the things he did for the music program at THS. Band participation has skyrocketed and he has gotten an increase in the music budget multiple times in his short career at THS. I will judge him on everything that he has done while I have known him and I will say I think he's one of the best people I know.

Dyne

[The Hatter]

Okay Dyne, I understand what your saying, and I kind of knew that I would get someone who did like JP and is willing to defend him. But your kind of preaching to the choir. I was a THS student too you know, and I'm more than little aware of what he did for the band program.

But you have to look at it from my prospective. Okay, John Purdy, good man? Up to debate. Did alot for the THS band? Yes. Should we feel sorry for him? I honestly don't think so. If your going to go out and have sex with a few guy friends, thats fine with me. I don't know if he's married or not, but even then, I don't care, it's not my marriage. If he wants to have a guy or two on the side, great, not my life. But what does bother me is the fact that this, weather anyone says it will or not, is going to affect the outlook on the Gay community in the Miami valley.

For Christ's sake it was on 103.9, and 94.5 being spewed out over the airwaves. To think that this is not going to influence the outlook on gay men in Troy especially is ludicrous. Because apparently if your gay you can't find time between stalking neighborhood children, and masturbating compulsively, to actually have a normal at home sex life, so everyone is at risk of seeing three men in a circle jerk at the local park.

I'm not pissed at JP for being gay, I'm not pissed that if he is married that he's cheating on his wife. I'm pissed that the stupid decision that he made will end up affecting me.

[Dyne]

This was not a debate. I stated my opinion.

Dyne

P.S. That sounded very selfish

[Dyne]

P.S.S. I do believe I have heard you praise Bill Clinton once or twice. It seems odd that most people think it's OK for a president to have sexual acts with a woman but not for a band director to have sexual acts with another man. Hmmm just a thought.

Not to mention that this is not the first time a gay man was caught have sex in Triangle Park. Don't blame him unless you want to blame the majority of the gay community in Dayton also. They also have ruined "your" reputation. Maybe you should hold a meeting with all the other homosexual community in Dayton and get them to stop hanging out and having sex in the park.

Don't blame one man for the mistakes of many.

[artemi]

Play nice, guys. He wasn't caught for being with men, he was caught for public indecency. Which they'll get you for even if its a guy and his girl.

At any rate, I know little of the man myself, outside of what I have heard from my friends who DID know him. I thus have no personal knowledge on the matter.

I DO think, and can say without personal bias, that it was a rather stupid thing to go and get caught. You would think that a park with this kind of reputation would, I don't know, be the LAST place to mess around at. If YOU know its a great place to do this kind of thing (with any of the sexes, I would imagine), wouldn't you suspect that the police would know too?

[celest]

Ok, ok. Things are geting a little tense in here, lets cool down.

First you guys are right. This isn't a debate. If it was this would be moved to the Hall of screams. People have different veiws. I'm sure there are lots of people that like JP and lots of people who don't. I never personally really met the guy, so Im not going to say anything but it want particularly smart to do something like that, espcelially for an adult.

Second, Dyne, I just have to say this. Clinton did alot of great things while in office. He made the mistake. Alot of people in power have made the same mistake. He's just the first to get national attention for it. It is a shame that people only thnk of the bad of people. The same could be said of JP. No one perfect, the guy did alot of good things, lets keep that in mind.

[Dyne]

celest said:

It is a shame that people only thnk of the bad of people. The same could be said of JP. No one perfect, the guy did alot of good things, lets keep that in mind.

Thank you

[The Hatter]

Of course my last spiel sounded selfish...that's because it was as it applied to the topic at hand. Do I feel for the kids that have to put up with the shit who are in the band, who now have to bear some of the burden of his stupid decision, yes. But I'm not in high school anymore, and I don't have any contact with the band as a whole, so yes, I sounded selfish. I'm not afraid to be called selfish, because I know that as a human I am selfish from time to time.

And I'm not blaming one man, I think every one of the idiotic voyuerisists that had sex in Triangle Park should be rounded up, which many of them where. Not to mention, you need not start with me on Bill Clinton, did I praise him, yes. Did I praise what he did, no. That's the point your failing to see here. Do I begrudge him that blow-job? No. I also don't begrudge Purdy for what ever he was doing in that park. I do however begrudge that he was doing it in a park. He's not helping the image that the gay community has in this area at all.


I'm not thinking about Purdy, I'm not thinking about the other people caught, I'm not thinking about Clinton. I'm thinking about myself and others of the gay community who you know...don't have sex in public parks...

Before I'm counted as a monster, I need to ask this question. Despite everything that he's done, do you think what he did was wrong? Do you think that JP shou be treated differently just because of what he did for the band, because he's a good person?

My answers to these questions are yes and no. Yes, I do think what he did was wrong, if he wanted to have sex with another man....there are things called hotel rooms. People shouldn't have to deal with that, and I don't believe he should be able to keep his teaching job for the plain and simple fact that there is this little thing in this country called Rule of Law. There is no preferential treatment. What if one of the other men was a soldier, with a medal of honor? Should he just get a slap on the wrist and said "Oh well since you have a good career, and are an example citizen you can go". I don't think so. I don't think that John Purdy should be treated any differently than any of the other men caught having sex in that park, despite what he did for the Band.

But I'm beating a dead horse here. You can agree with me, fine. You can not agree with me, fine.

[gryphonpoet]

celest said:

Clinton did alot of great things while in office.

Please refresh my memory. What were the great things he did? I can remember a lot of indecision and slack responses in foreign matters during his tenure. I also remember much political activity with little result in domestic policy.

Before we get into partisan bickering, I am neither Republican nor Democrat. I just dislike the Former President on a personal level. I am unconvinced that he was qualified for the Presidency. Finally, I don't believe he really did much of anything for eight years. Great, terrible or indifferent.

PS, Celeste - I am not overly impressed with W. either, just for the record.

------------------------

About the topic at hand... gay or straight makes no difference, to be exposed in public is against the law. It should be (and sounds as though it was) dealt with accordingly. Public humiliation is a part of the punishment of the legal system in this country. It is a check which also allows exposure of torture in jails and miscarriages of justice.

The arrest was because he was engaged in public sex. The snickering on the radio is because Mr. Purdy is gay. At least that is what I am willing to bet, based on how the human being tends to think. Until we grow up as a race, that is likely how these kinds of stories will be treated in the media.

[Dyne]

I never once disagreed with the fact that he made a bad decision and should answer for it. All that I wanted to say is that he is a good man. And as a personal friend of mine he is one of the better people I know of all of my friends. I would stick him higher in morality than some of the friends I have. Sorry if that hurts but the truth does sometimes. This isn't necessarily directed at anyone and my goal not to try to start a fight. My opinion is my own and it's coming from someone who knows him and is closer to him than anyone else on this board.

Dyne

[Atreides Conscript]

My opinion is my own and it's coming from someone who knows him and is closer to him than anyone else on this board.

Closeness can easily cause blindness. If you want proof of that, look at anybody and their girlfriend/boyfriend. Look at anybody with their friends. When somebody is your friend, you tend to forgive their actions far more easily than others would. Many of us claim that this is because we know them personally, and that they are a good person at heart. However, humans should be honest with themselves and admit that it is far more often their personal love (in whatever form is appropriate to the relationship) for that person that triggers forgiveness.

Don't be blind Dyne, the man made a horrible choice (and I am aware that you agree with that much). I cannot call the John Purdy I know to be any more or less moral than most people. This man lied to me while I wanted to transfer schools (a serious situation). That lie caused me not to transfer (which pisses me off to this day). The only reason for that lie that we could come up with was that he didn't like how I took control of myself and my life. The John Purdy that many people know likes to control his own situations (I can't blame him). My best guess is that he saw me as an upstart and tried to knock me down a few pegs to where I'd be manageable.

If you think John Purdy to be more moral than most of your friends, then I wonder about those you still call friends. I will not hang the man for two bad choices (the one in regards to me and the current one), but I have heard much worse from others (including some that liked Purdy). Don't be blind to his actions... whether you are partial to him or not.

I don't know whether he should lose his job or not, but he will. That is sad for the current band students who know not of Purdy's original taking of command. They don't know what they lost when Purdy came in because they were never there. They, like you, will miss him and others will not.

However, Troy is fortunate. They have an assistant band director who is more than capable of taking over. The question is whether or not she wants to stay in command this time around.

Best of luck to John Purdy. Best of luck to Cathy Mac and the THS band. May they all survive this without it coming to pieces first.

[Dyne]

When did you become the self appointed spiritual leader of our group? I don't recall this. I know what my friends have done and I know what JP has done. In a friendship contest I would choose JP over some of my friends however that doesn't mean I'm not friends with Ced friends. And I'm aware that closeness can cause blindness. I can see this in certain relationships that some people have. (Mainly the ones where the man controls the woman and the woman is too timid and blind to stick up for herself... But thats another story.) I never once said that I don't understand other people's perspectives. I understand how they feel and the anger they have toward the man. I'm angry too. I just simply wanted to let everyone know that the man is also done much good so that everyone has the whole picture. I'm not blind to his actions. If I condoned people for all there mistakes I wouldn't be friends with anyone. Keep that in mind.

My best guess is that he saw me as an upstart and tried to knock me down a few pegs to where I'd be manageable.

You would guess wrong.

And now I will update people on how THS is dealing with this.

1) The student have been hazing the band student calling them names like "fag", "homo", and "gay wads" while pushing, shoving, hitting, tripping, and over all mentally and physically abusing the band.

2) The faculty has turned a blind eye to what the students have done. The Teachers will immediately kick a student out of class and give them a Thursday school (I think that what it is now) If they even mention Mr. Purdy's name. The students are desperate to talk about it anyone that would listen but the faculty won't talk. Much is brewing inside the students at the high school because of this.

3) Mrs. Macintosh will most likely not be apart of the band next year. She has endured way to much at the hands of the band parents, and the media of Troy. The event with John Purdy was two days before the 7 year anniversary of the band parents forcing Mr. Weezer to resign. This however is speculation and not based on any fact.

4) The Band students are still in shambles. There moral is low and they are afraid of every day going to school. Many students have skipped school to avoid the hazing while the faculty turns a blind eye.

Just thought I would know that the gay community's reputation is not the only thing that has been tainted. I think we have more things to worry about than that.

Dyne

[Lylie]

I do not think that AJ would have just included the gay community if he had known of the hazing that the students are enduring. The parents have a responsibility with getting in contact with the board of education and telling them what has been going on. In a group. One of them at a time and the board can brush them off. But if they go in as a group their harder to ignore. Don't expect the board to do something even if they know about it unless adults, not children, go in and talk to them. The teachers should talk to the students, but if the faculty is clamming up it can't be helped. As for Purdy and what has happened to him, I can't say either way and I won't. I was not in the band, but I do know that as a person I did not care him. But then again there are many people that I don't care for. That does not mean that I wish them harm socially, physical, or otherwise. That does not mean that I have passed judgment on him. The courts will do that. Purdy is a grown man and can take care of himself. What he has done or not done, is an action that has affected not only the gay community, it has also affected the band community at the high school and probably more than just Troy High School.