Donald Tenn

Twofathers who climbed a 200-foot crane at Lane and Neil avenues last yearto protest the way dads are treated by family courts pleaded guiltyyesterday to criminal-damaging charges.Paul D. Fisher and Donald Tenn dressed as Spider-Man and Superman,respectively, for the protest outside an Ohio State vs. Minnesotafootball game Sept. 27, 2008. Atop the crane, they unfurled a bannerfor their cause. They said the costumes represented dads as superheroes.The stunt, which lasted three days, was broadcast on 84 local TV stations and YouTube.Fisher, of Columbus, and Tenn, of Sacramento, Calif., were charged with felony vandalism counts.
But as jury selection continued yesterday inFranklin County Common Pleas Court, prosecutors and defense attorneysreached a plea deal which would put the men on probation and pay thecontractor restitution for the $5,500 it cost to rent a replacementcrane and inspect the old one.Judge Stephen L. McIntosh suspended a 90-jail sentence and placed both men on probation for one year."Everything I do is for my daughter," said Tenn, 53. He said he hasnot seen his 6-year-old daughter, Madison, since 2007 because hisex-wife moved to a small town in Illinois and filed a restraining orderagainst him.Tenn is the president of the U.S. chapter of Fathers4Justice. Hesaid his protests across the country are intended to raise awarenessabout the plight of split couples who face separation from theirchildren. He came to Columbus to help Fisher, 32, who has objected to Ohio'ssystem of deciding child-visitation issues. Fisher has fought for morevisitation with his daughter, Demetra, 7."I get four days a month with my daughter," Fisher said, choking back tears. "Donald and I did something about it."McIntosh told the men that although their issue is honorable, theycould have caused a panic and did cause financial harm to localcontractors at an Ohio State University parking-garage site. bcadwallader@dispatch.com

Two fathers who staged a protest at a Buckeyes football game last year to complain about the waydads are treated by family courts pleaded guilty this morning to criminal charges.Dressed as superheros, Donald Tenn and Paul D. Fisher climbed a 200-foot crane at Lane and NeilAvenue last September to unfurl a banner for their cause. Fisher, of Columbus, dressed as Supermanand Tenn, of Sacramento, Calif., dressed as Spider-Man.They were charged with felony vandalism counts for the stunt, which lasted three days.As jury selection continued today, prosecutors and defense attorneys reached a plea deal whichwould put the men on probation and pay the contractor $5,500 - restitution for the cost of rentinga replacement crane and inspecting the old one.Both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of criminal damaging in Franklin County Common PleasCourt.Judge Stephen L. McIntosh suspended a 90-day jail sentence and placed both men on probation forone year."Everything I do is for my daughter," said Tenn, 53. He said he has not seen his 6-year-olddaughter, Madison, since 2007 because his ex-wife moved to a small town in Illinois and filed arestraining order against him.Tenn is the president of the U.S. chapter of Fathers4Justice. He said his protests around the country are aimedto raise awareness to the plight of split couples who face separation from their children.He came to Columbus to help Fisher, 32, who has objected to Ohio's system of deciding childvisitation issues. Fisher has fought for more visitation with his daughter, Demetra, 7."I get four days a month with my daughter," Fisher said, choking back tears. "Donald and I didsomething about it."McIntosh told the men that although their issue is honorable, they could have caused a panic anddid cause financial harm to local contractors at an Ohio State University parking garage site.Read all 78 comments »

2 Dads On A Crane Sentenced COLUMBUS, Ohio—Two men who spent several daysatop a crane on The Ohio State University campus pleaded guilty toreduced charges and were sentenced Thursday.Paul Fisher and Donald Tenn spent three days in September 2008 atop a crane on the campus of The Ohio State University. Fisher is an Ohio father who dressed like Superman and Tenn is aCalifornia father who wore a Spiderman suit while protesting for therights of dads who are in custody disputes with ex-spouses.The men originally faced vandalism charges, after climbing onto thecrane with a banner that read, “Stop the War on Fatherhood” and“Fathers-4-Justice.“Fisher and Tenn pleaded to reduced second-degree misdemeanor chargesof criminal damaging and were sentenced to 90 days in the FranklinCounty Correctional Center. The jail time was suspended for one year ofcommunity control.The men are members of Fathers-4-Justice, a civil rights group campaigning for truth, justice and equality in family law.