Juneau County DA Takes on New Law That Forbids Teaching Abstinence-Only

Governor Jim Doyle recently signed an outrageous piece of legislation that makes it illegal for any public school district in the state to offer an abstinence-only curriculum in order to prevent teen pregnancy. The new law, which Wisconsin Right to Life strongly opposed, MANDATES that any school offering a Human Growth & Development curriculum must teach students about the array of other “options” to prevent pregnancy. Until now, schools could choose to offer comprehensive sex-ed programs or offer an abstinence-only approach.

Sure, under the new law schools can still mention abstinence but it must be treated as just another way to prevent pregnancy. Never mind that some school districts want to teach an abstinence-only approach. And never mind that options, other than abstinence, can result in teen pregnancies and subject teens to the risk of contracting STDs and AIDS. Doyle and the supporters of this law were determined to ram this law down the throats of concerned parents, educators and school boards and they were successful because of the current make-up of the legislature.

Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth is not taking this lying down! He has told Juneau County public schools that the new law “promotes the sexualization – and sexual assault – of our children.” He urged the school districts to suspend their sex ed classes and transfer their anatomy curriculum to science courses … until the legislature rescinds the law. He rightly reminds the school districts that is it a crime to engage in sexual activity with a minor who is 16 or younger. He tells them if a teacher knows a child is engaging in sexual activity or if the teacher’s instruction causes the child to engage in sexual activity, that teacher could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

We’ll be watching developments from Juneau County with great interest.

The only way this outrageous law ever came to pass is because the Democratic leadership in Madison and the current governor are joined at the hip with the Planned Parenthoods of the world.

It’s time to retire the people in the legislature who supported this legislation. It’s time to elect a new governor who respects the autonomy of school districts and parents and actually cares about the welfare of students.

HAD ENOUGH? Remember November!!!!!

Sue Armacost