School board approves revised sex-ed courses

Montgomery County’s school board yesterday unanimously approved a revised sex-education curriculum that teaches middle- and high-school students about homosexuality and condom use, despite opposition again from parents.

“This isn’t about homosexuality,” said parent Steina Ruben. “It’s about there being no emphasis on family values.”

Fifteen persons testified against the curriculum, revised from the 2004 version that created a fierce public debate then a lawsuit that stopped school officials from starting the classes.

Opponents yesterday were undecided on whether they would file another suit.

“I was absolutely hoping we wouldn’t be facing this again,” said Michelle Turner, a member of the parent group Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, which filed the suit in 2005. The Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays also participated in the suit, which required the board to cancel the classes or re-write the curriculum.

“Once again, we are looking at a curriculum that seeks to introduce young children to acts and lifestyles that are proven medically to be hazardous to one’s health, both physically and emotionally,” Mrs. Turner testified yesterday.

Mrs. Turner said she will meet with county officials to review the curriculum, then with attorneys and other organizations before deciding whether to take further action.

A school board member defended the revised curriculum, saying it was thoroughly researched and reviewed.

“I believe it is an appropriate and correct curriculum,” said Sharon O. Cox. “That it will meet any court challenges.”

The new curriculum was prepared by the 15 members of the Citizens Advisory Committee during four months of consultation last summer with four physicians from the Maryland Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“We spent hours going through every recommendation,” said Dr. Carol Plotsky, chairman of the Citizens Advisory Committee. “For a number of years, this has been in the making. This curriculum needs to move forward.”

She also said 270 physicians signed a petition for the lesson plan to include more data about condoms and vaginal intercourse. But that information was not included.

Three county middle schools and high schools now will be selected to offer the new course in their health-development classes. Only students with written parental approval will take the course.

The three new lessons are: A two-part, 90-minute lesson for eighth-graders on “Respect for Differences in Human Sexuality”; a two-part, 90-minute segment on the lesson for 10th-graders, and a one-part, 45-minute lesson on condom use, including a demonstration video, for 10th-graders.

If the courses are successful in the six schools this spring, they will be included in the health development classes of all 38 middle and 25 public high schools for the 2007-2008 school year.

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