Wis. prosecutor: Teachers risk arrest over new sex-ed classes
Posted by Michael Winter
A Wisconsin district attorney has warned schools in his county that if they proceed with new state sex-education courses, teachers could face criminal charges for encouraging minors to have sex, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.
Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth said a new state law that requires students learn to use condoms and other contraceptives "promotes the sexualization — and sexual assault — of our children." In his March 24 letter to five school districts, Southworth, a Republican, said teachers could be charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors. He urged school officials to suspend the program, which takes effect in the fall, and transfer the anatomy curriculum to a science course.
Here are a couple of excerpts from his letter:
"If a teacher instructs any student aged 16 or younger how to utilize contraceptives under cir stances 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 statute" of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. ...
"Forcing our schools to instruct children on how to utilize contraceptives encourages our children to engage in sexual behavior, whether as a victim or an offender," he wrote. "It is akin to teaching children about alcohol use, then instructing them on how to make mixed alcoholic drinks."
He said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel that he could not say how likely he would be to file charges, saying it would depend on the specifics of any case.
"I'm not looking to charge any teachers," he said. "I've got enough work to do."
The paper spoke to a co-author of the legislation. She called the DA's letter "irresponsible" and said it was "laughable to think teachers could be charged for telling students how to use contraception."
"Using condoms isn't a crime for anyone," said Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison. "This guy is not a credible legal source on this matter, I'm sorry to say. His purpose is to intimidate and create enough panic in the minds of school administrators that they'll turn their backs on young people and their families."
The new law continues to let parents remove their children from sex-ed classes, and schools can also not offer such instruction. One district that received the letter said it had not taught sex ed for years.
Good grief. Regardless of whether or not you believe that kids should be taught contraception in school, it's ludicrous for the DA to threaten teachers with prosecution for following the law. If the DA wants to charge anyone for contributing to the delinquency of minors he should try and charge the legislators who passed the law, not the teachers who now find themselves legally obligated to follow it.
Interesting letter for someone who is obstensibly an elected official.
If this had been a Democrat using legal strong arm tactics to further a liberal policy aim, you can bet it would have been Yonivore and the Conservative Avengers all over this like stink on . As it is we all know they will very likely be MIA in this thread. I wish things/people were not so predictably partisan sometimes.
Sigh.
For all the freaking buzzword, fear this, bull that the teabaggers and their GOP life partners throw around about 'activist judges' you think they'd be ashamed as all over all these loser, activist state level DAs who waste time and money on garbage like this and suing over healthcare or federal lands or gun rights or whatever else piece of craziness they come up with.
He has a point about teaching condoms being similar to teaching how to mix drinks though. Why don't we have schools al;so teach how to make field expedient explosives while were at it using your own piss and Vaseline.
You're an idiot.
Might have something to do with the percentage of teenagers who get horny being close to 100% and the percentage of teenagers who are interested in blowing up buildings being close to 0%.
Just illustrating the absurd by being absurd.
Teaching a practice is inviting it. Now I agree that many teenagers will have sex. I agree there is proper things to teach. However, as they focus on "how" more and more, they focus less on responsibility and consequences.
Nothing like making the teens engage in more sex because you make them feel safer about it.
I'll bet teaching how to make explosives are less deadly that how to have sex properly. You may not believe so, but abortion is killing.
so teaching someone about murder will logically turn on their homicidal instincts.. thanks for the clarification
Didn't you ever play with firecrackers as a kid? Making explosives doesn't mean you will use them for unscrupulous reasons.
teaching me how to use a codnom didn't make me any more horny. what it did was let me know how not to knock up a chick..
And there lies the problem.
A false sense of security.
Law enforcement is highly political.
Whether or not teaching contraception is a good idea is a separate issue from whether or not the DA's actions here are warranted. I respect the rights of the states to decide what they want to teach in their public schools, and if you're against teaching contraception by all means, pe ion your representatives and make your voice heard. But for this DA to threaten to prosecute teachers for complying with a law is completely absurd.
as opposed to not using a condom?
I was not making that point at all. Not my fault you can't keep up.
Try understanding that again please.Now I agree that many teenagers will have sex. I agree there is proper things to teach. However, as they focus on "how" more and more, they focus less on responsibility and consequences.
I understand it just fine. Doesn't make the DA's threats any less absurd. If the DA has a problem with the law he needs to take on the legislature who made the law, not the teachers who are bound to abide by it.
So you would have people not learn about condoms then?
And there lies the problem.
A false sense of security.
so wearing a condom provides a false sense of security.. where as wearing one would lessen the odds of pregnancy ocurring.. maybe I need to slow down for you because it's obvious I go way ever your head most of the time..
It was in USA Today which cribbed it from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for Pete's sake. I don't make a habit of reading Wisconsin newspapers or USA Today, But it's an indictment of conservatives because? Please. Unless I'm totally missing your point (maybe I'm not a Conservative Avenger, whatever the that is), this straw response was utterly predictable, and I honestly thought you'd resist, RG.
I'm a fairly well read conservative, but some weeks I don't have as much time as others to peruse the media as much as I would like.
That being said, the DA is so profoundly wrong, it's difficult to comprehend how he could even articulate such a bizarre opinion.
You said:
Not how to reduce the chances, but how not to make her pregnant.
That's my point. It's a false sense of security. You are even willing to lie to yourself saying "I'm not going to knock her up if I use a condom."
Don't you get it?
Where do you get the idea that the schools were telling kids that using a condom would completely eliminate pregnancy?
George proved the point that they end up believing that.
Ok, so the schools didn't say that. Thx.
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