Everywhere...but church

WREG.com
May 22, 2007

CORDOVA, TN -- In drawing a line where a teenager may drive to help his dying mother, a state agency may have crossed the line -- and violated its own rules.

The Tennessee Department of Safety granted 15-year-old Seth Parrish's application for a hardship drivers license. His mother Stephanie is in the late stages of breast cancer -- four to six weeks to live. Since his father cares for her around the clock when he's not a work, Seth secured the hardship license so he can help run errands - school, hospital, groceries, etc.

There's just one condition: he can't drive to his church, First Evangelical Church in East Memphis.

"Our church is our main source of support, emotionally and spiritually, during my wife's sickness," says Mark Parrish, Seth's father. "For us not to be able to get (Seth) to church while I'm watching Steph, which is most every day now, is a hardship for us. There's no question about it."

In her letter rejecting Parrish's appeal, Wanda Moore, the Tennessee Department of Safety's Director of Drivers License Issuance, said, "Church routes are not considered a hardship route."

3 On Your Side reviewed the Parrishes' application. It allows up to five destinations that can be approved for the underage driver to travel. Destination number five is the 'Miscellaneous' category. It includes 'Church/Synagogue' as an acceptable destination as long as the applicant includes a written statement from a church official verifying the applicant's attendance at church or church events.

Mark Parrish says he included a letter from Seth's youth pastor attesting to his son's involvement in the youth group, Sunday services, Wednesday services and holiday services.

"Initially, I thought it may be one person who may have some type of prejudice or some type of problem with the church," says Mark Parrish. "But when I appealed to that person's senior management, I got the same response."

3 On Your Side contacted Mike Browning, public information officer for the agency, and he agreed to look into the case. He discovered the agency mistakenly sent the Parrish family an old application. He says the agency eliminated 'Church/Synagogue' from its hardship license application in 2005.

He said Moore is now willing to reconsider Seth's request to drive to church since her agency sent the old application.

"I think based on the old application, she would be willing to at least revisit it and perhaps grant it based on that," says Browning.

3 On Your Side has alerted the Parrishes' state senator - Sen. Paul Stanley, (R) East Memphis, Germantown, Cordova - to their case.