A Wisconsin district attorney is urging schools to drop their sex-education programs, warning that the teachers involved could be arrested if they follow a new state law requiring them to instruct students on how to use condoms and other contraceptives.
In light of a letter from Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth, leaders at the five school districts in the county are evaluating what to do now, New Lisbon School District Superintendent Tom Andres told AOL News today.
"I don't intend to put our teachers in harm's way," he said. "We were just about to meet to discuss how to comply with the new law. Then this letter came, and this is another piece of the puzzle that we'll have to consider as we figure out how to move forward."
The state law, called the Healthy Youth Act, took effect in March. Starting this fall, it requires schools with sex-education courses to teach students medically accurate, age-appropriate information, including how to use birth control and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. It also requires the classes to include information about how to recognize signs of abuse and how alcohol can affect decision making.
Parents will be permitted to remove their children from sex-education classes, as they could under previous state law. Schools also will be allowed the choice of whether to offer sex education, but must notify parents if they decide not to.
In his letter, Southworth told school district leaders the new law promotes sexual assault of children, and warns that teachers who follow the law could be charged with misdemeanor or felony delinquency of a minor, with maximum punishments ranging from nine months in jail to six years in prison.
"For example, if a teacher instructs any student aged 16 or younger how to utilize contraceptives under circumstances where the teacher knows the child is engaging in sexual activity with another child -- or even where the 'natural and probable consequences' of the teacher's instruction is to cause that child to engage in sexual intercourse with a child -- that teacher can be charged under this statue," Southworth wrote.
"Moreover, the teacher could be charged with this crime even if the child does not actually engage in the criminal behavior," he wrote, adding, "Our teachers should never be put in this position."
Southworth did not return calls or e-mails from AOL News for comment today.
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services released a statement Tuesday disagreeing with Southworth's interpretation.
"The law provides comprehensive, medically accurate, unbiased and age-appropriate information, and teaches teens about the potential negative consequences of their choices," said department spokesman Seth Boffeli. "The law helps identify abuse and prevent teen pregnancy.
"Study after study has shown that abstinence-only education does not work. The Healthy Youth Act updates our standards to reflect the health risks teens face today," the statement said.
Southworth's letter also said the new law requires schools to condone controversial sexual behavior because they must teach students about gender stereotypes. He said that would likely mean teaching about homosexuality and transgender and transsexual people.
"In effect, the new law injects an intense amount of unnecessary politics into our human growth and development classrooms, and places our teachers and children into a position of discussing extremely controversial issues that will likely conflict with the religious beliefs and values of most Juneau County families," he wrote.
He urged school district leaders to simply drop their sex-education courses until the state Legislature "amends or repeals these new mandates."
Andres, whose district is in a small rural area of Wisconsin, near Madison, said his teachers are already walking a tightrope in sex-education classes, being careful that the information they present is age-appropriate and respectful of various religious and family views. But, he added, the schools also must fulfill their responsibility to students.
"You look on YouTube and you can see there already is a significant amount of sexual activity going on among our youth," he told AOL News.
"We have a responsibility to talk about it. We need to do it in a safe and responsible way," he said. "It's already difficult, and this [letter] makes it more difficult. ... We certainly don't want to contribute to the delinquency of a minor."
His district leaders will meet next week to decide how to proceed, he said. The school board will make the final decision.
Dazt
Wisconsin also uses tax dollars to supply condoms to Milwaukee county students. Liberal ideals are ruining the state. At least we will be rid of Doyle this year.
Da Man
Well all I can say let the raunchy sex and pregnant teenage girls begin!!!!! jk, I hope they can work this out and at least not get rid of sex education entirely, only about less than 10% of the population from where I'm from don't pay attention to this stuff, about 90% do and they are the most successful people I know, I do understand that everyone has urges to have sex, but with sex ed. it teaches the smart ones at least the dangers. For example my class I took about 10 years ago, I took was great at doing it. The teachers would show slide shows of the most disgusting pics ever like guneria and herpes. And let me tell you, the pics would haunt you for the rest of your life in a good way of course. That class was effective and most of the teachers and faculty know that if you don't show the reality of it and keep your kids conceted, it wont be effective and the others..well you know, dropped out of school to attend to their newborn or their newly turned parents turned grandparents have to help care for another child when they were ready to have great retirement plans, but yea its all over, but hey at least they can say my teen never went to college and now is working a department store job as a cashier at the age of 25, not bad.. but yea I hope they don't get rid of sex ed entirely in Wisconsin.
Proud Ph.D graduate by the way who never had sex and was a quarterback on my varsity football team and wrestling team.
Orignal From: What do you think of a wisconsin district attorney threatening prosecution for teachers who teach sex ed?
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