David Cortman, senior counsel for Arizona-based Alliance Defense Fund told the Florida Baptist Witness that the men had "legitimate business" at the school and had obtained permission from both the school and the sheriff's office to distribute Bibles to children as they were leaving the school's campus.
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When asked to stay no closer than a half mile from the school, Simpson and Mirto began to walk away, according to the report, but then Simpson looked around and tried twice to identify the deputy issuing them the order and then called the sheriff's office to complain about the deputy's actions once he arrived at Simpson's truck which was parked in a no-parking zone just off the highway in front of the school. The men were arrested after they sat in the truck talking on their cell phones for more than five minutes, according to the arresting deputy.
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"The school is mistaken," Gray said. "They did not see a Gideon on the land. The officer, when he came, did not do his job in identifying who was on the land. The Gideons were never on school property."
Apparently there was also an overzealous law officer involved as well.
They didn't obey. They didn't obey the principal who asked them (in response to complaints from parents) to stay off school property, and they didn't leave when the deputy told them to.
The deputy told them to stay 1/2 mile away from the school. They didn't. There they sat. Two, 40 year old, strange men in their (illegally parked) truck, in front of the elementary school, talking on cell phones and creeping out a bunch of frightened parents with their 7 year olds.