Parents of students who attend the First Presbyterian Nursery School in Santa Monica are “outraged” at the paparazzi activity outside (and inside) school grounds. The school has enrolled many children of celebrities in the past, but currently Meg Ryan’s daughter Daisy True and Jennifer Garner’s daughter Violet. At least 30 parents have complained about the intrusive tactics of the paparazzi, and one family reported being knocked down by a paparazzo who shoved his camera in the mother’s face. Jennifer Garner herself has discussed the way the paparazzi taunt her daughter. Santa Monica City Councilman Richard Bloom says that he and his department are looking into the reports and hopefully sometime in the future a law will be enacted making it illegal for the paparazzi to approach past a safe distance.

The paparazzi are creating a “circus-like” atmosphere at a Santa Monica preschool, according to dozens of parents who are outraged by the chaos.

Among the celebrities who send their children to the First Presbyterian Nursery School are Jennifer Garner and Meg Ryan, both of whom have been photographed picking up their children by a crowd of hungry photographers.

City officials have received letters from thirty parents complaining about the nuisance caused by the paparazzi.

In the letters, the parents say the cameras have increased congestion on the street, the paparazzi drive recklessly in the neighborhood and photographers create a scene that is frightening to their children. At least one family said they were verbally assaulted by one of the photographers.

“We’ve seen parents get lenses in their face where literally it knocks them over,” parent Geoffrey Blake told KTLA.

Mary Hartzeil, the director of the nursery school says that the school has had famous parents for years, but the situation has gotten worse lately.

‘The school has always been a place that welcomes diversity and we have families from different economic, racial, social and religious backgrounds,” she wrote in a letter to city officials.

A local Santa Monica City Councilman, Richard Bloom, says the city will investigate “intrusive and invasive” activities of paparazzi photographers and videographers in areas where children gather. Bloom calls the situation “intolerable” and agrees that something must be done.

[from KTLA]

The paparazzi following around an adult actor or actress is one thing, but terrifying children with their antics is quite another – especially when those children are just innocent bystanders. No child should be subjected to that kind of harassment. Think about it – videos of the paparazzi crowding around celebrities are scary enough, but imagine if you only came up to the photographers’ knees.

I was surprised to hear that the only celebrities who send their children to school there were Jennifer Garner and Meg Ryan – and that they were enough to cause such issues. Sometimes it doesn’t pay to be a hands-on celebrity mom in Hollywood. I have to wonder if the paparazzi would be as intrusive if a nanny dropped off Violet instead. But that’s just not Jennifer’s style.

It was refreshing that the parents weren’t blaming the incidents on Meg Ryan and Jennifer Garner themselves, and hopefully the problem will be solved. Those parents aren’t going to let this keep going on for much longer.

Here’s Jennifer Garner and daughter Violet braving the rain in Boston yesterday to do some shopping. Images thanks to Fame Pictures .