Children's Author Richard Lynn Stack Banned from School System for Inappropriate Comments

Richard Lynn Stack, a Baltimore area children's author, was banned from Hartford County Schools after making an inappropriate comment to a young female student. Stack, the author of ,The Doggonest Christmas Ever, a first in a series of children books was at the school for an event. When a young girl asked Stack to autograph her forehead he made the comment, If you climb on the table and take your clothes off.

Stack claims he was attempting to be funny and it was taken out of context. He said the request of the girl was odd and he was attempting to make a quip just as odd. In a statement by the author he said, "I had a great time at the school and was very well-received. I am confident everyone there connected with my visit knows that nothing improper was intended." Stack also noted in his comment that there were hundreds of witness close by.

School official Don Morrison said, "It's not something you can tolerate as a school system, that an adult would use that type of phraseology around a group of 10-year-olds."

Hartford County Schools contacted Stack on Friday informing him that he would no longer be welcomed in their school system. He was scheduled to appear at Abington Elementary the same day. The incident occurred at Abington Elementary on April 16.

Richard Stack was formerly a lawyer before devoting all his time to children's books. He closed his practice in 1989 after the success of his first book. He is most notable recognized for his dog Josh, who was entered into the 1994Guinness Book of World Records as the the "most petted dog". He currently travels around the country giving assemblies and promoting his books. He now travels with a new dog since Josh died several years ago.

Police were not contacted in regards to the April 16th incident, but Harford County's Child Advocacy Center has opened an "Informal investigation" according to David Betz, the center's coordinator.

Betz said, "It's a red flag. It's not a comment you make nowadays in that environment. It may have just been a huge mistake and that was it, but we don't know."

Betz said they would be speaking to the parents of the students who were around Stack, when he made the inappropriate comment as well, as Stack for their investigation.

(Justin Fenton, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/harford/bal-md.ha.author26apr26,0,2701084.story?coll=bal-loca)