ACLU Wants to Ban Abstinence Education

California's sex education standards call for public school students to learn about sex and sexually transmitted diseases beginning in the 5th grade. They learn about condoms and other contraceptives beginning in the 7th grade, as well as other sex ed topics. No public school student in California hears an abstinence only message in public school Now the American Civil Liberties Union (the ACLU) is working to prevent students from hearing anything about abstinence until marriage, even in the context of a so-called comprehensive sex education curriculum. The ACLU has targeted Free to Be, a group that has sent speakers into about 30 middle and high schools in Sonoma County schools for the past 17 years. The group's presenters talk to students about the benefits of abstaining from sex until marriage. They teach that "a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity" and that "sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects."

The ACLU claims that it is illegal for speakers to present that message in California public schools. After threats from the ACLU, the Sonoma County Office of Education told the county's 40 school districts that this group is no longer allowed to present its message to students. The ACLU claims that this group called Free to Be violates state law by not teaching students about contraceptives.

This controversy is not yet resolved and may find its way into the courts. If it does, there are many students and parents who are ready to speak up about the positive effects of abstinence education, but here is no telling what the judges will decide.

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