Teenager Accuses Dallas of Hijacking Back to School Event

Teenager David Williams said Friday the Dallas Parks Department is trying to hijack an August 15 back to school event he claims he planned after starting the event last year.

Williams said vendors took part in the August 2014 event at Glendale Park on Loop 12 Ledbetter Drive and the same vendors were lined up this year.

“We had a good turnout. The vendors enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. The families said they enjoyed it and they were looking forward to next year,” he said.

At the age of 13, Williams is already well known among Dallas city leaders for his appearances the past two years at the city council speakers’ microphone with power-point presentations to punctuate his remarks. His mom said it has been a very successful part of his home schooling curriculum.

At a council meeting last fall, Williams called out Councilman Tennell Atkins for making fun of Williams’ clothes. Atkins took the young man shopping for a new suit to match the business-like approach Williams has taken to several projects.

“It’s a group of five students, including myself,” Williams said. “We do all these events. We do all the contacting. We do all the media outreach. We do everything.”

But now, Williams complains the Dallas Parks Department has removed his name from publicity about the 2015 event and changed the name from Back to School “Education Explosion” to “Festival.”

“This isn’t a festival,” Williams said. “This is dealing with education. Festival means party. We’re not here to party. We’re trying to buckle down and get serious.”

Andrea Hawkins with Dallas Parks and Recreation said it is a parks department event being planned by the city, not Williams. She said Williams is a ‘Junior Park Ambassador’ but other non-profit organizations will be involved in the event, as well.

Williams said he still wants the city to turn the event back over to him by Tuesday or he will involve lawyers he claims to have on his side.

“Some of the things I was kind of trusting in and I might have been a little too trusting,” Williams said.