Is Your School District Considering a Sex Education Curriculum? Check Arizona Law First

Posted: 2014-06-01

5-31-14 (reprinted with permission from Gilbert Watch)

It is disgusting stories like this one that drive parents to remove their children from the public schools and place them in charters that focus on academics, not interminable battles over sex education curriculum.    

This is the story of how the public officials of Tempe Union High School District arrogantly thumbed their noses at hundreds of parents who have been speaking out for months against the Planned Parenthood-endorsed F.L.A.S.H. curriculum.  This is about a District that has to be reminded about  Arizona law.  It is about board member David Schapira, the deciding vote to adopt the Planned Parenthood-endorsed F.L.A.S.H. curriculum.  He took an adversarial position against parents for their criticism of Planned Parenthood and of him.  

He also refused to recuse himself, in spite of his close financial and pecuniary ties to Planned Parenthood.  On his Facebook page, however, he stated "The far right have been emailing the board all day with the expected vitriol. Cathi Herrod's extremists believe that I shouldn't have a vote on Tempe Union's sex-ed policy because I support a woman's right to choose (as does stare decisis of the United States Supreme Court, by the way.)"   Huh?

David Schapira contemptuously told parents:    

“I do support Planned Parenthood. Absolutely. I won’t deny it. When you all post pictures of me wearing a pink shirt that says I support Planned Parenthood, it makes me proud. It doesn’t make me scared. It doesn’t make me shy away. Not one bit. Because Planned Parenthood is a fantastic organization….

Planned Parenthood, the number one abortion provider in America, has stated publicly that "the number of sexual partners you’ve had doesn’t say anything about your character, your morals, or your personality – or about anything at all really– there’s nothing bad or unhealthy about having a big number of sexual partners."  See Someone Asked us:  Is Promiscuity a Bad Thing? 

At a February meeting, stated the attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom, one parent expressed outrage at a graphic Planned Parenthood billboard near a Tempe Junior High School that depicted a condom with the words, "Getting it on is Free."  

Several parents, in addition to the attorneys at ADF, warned TUHSD board and committee members that the adoption of F.L.A.S.H. will very likely violate Arizona law.  They cited Arizona Statute SB1009, adopted in 2012, which clearly states that no school district or charter school may endorse or support a program that does not give preference to childbirth and adoption over elective abortion.  

In their May 13 letter to TUHSD, the attorneys of Alliance Defending Freedom stated that it appeared that  "the decision to adopt F.L.A.S.H. was the plan from the beginning and that the meetings from January to date, including the Board's meeting May 7, have provided a facade of legitimacy to a fore-ordained decision."

ADF attorneys also stated that the public had been misled into believing there would be no vote to approve the F.L.A.S.H. curriculum on May 7.  Yet, Board member David Schapira, who appeared to have orchestrated the presentations as well as the result, made the motion to adopt F.L.A.S.H., which was then adopted 3-2.

ADF attorneys stated that “Any sex-ed curriculum promoted by an abortion seller that has more than once been accused of hiding rape in violation of the law is not one parents or school officials can trust as a framework for schoolchildren. Planned Parenthood has proven time and again that it cares about its own interests and profits far more than it cares about the health and safety of women and children.”  See Alleged Rapes, Flawed Data, Official with Planned Parenthood Ties, Bring Scrutiny to Tempe Sex-Ed Decision. 

David Schapira is no stranger to the laws of Arizona.  He is a Democrat formerly serving in the Arizona State Legislature, representing Legislative District 17.  

Here are some great public charter schools:

Adams Traditional Academy, located in North Phoenix, serves children in grades K-8.

Benjamin Franklin Charter Schools, with campuses throughout the East Valley, serves grades K-12. 

East Valley Academy, located in Mesa, serves grades K-6. 

Heritage Academy, with campuses in Mesa and Queen Creek, and another opening soon in Laveen, serves children in grades 7-12.    

Arizona Statute SB1009 which was adopted in 2012:    

15-108. Preference for childbirth and adoption; allowable presentations.

A. IN VIEW OF THE STATE'S STRONG INTEREST IN PROMOTING CHILDBIRTH AND ADOPTION OVER ELECTIVE ABORTION, NO SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IN THIS STATE MAY ENDORSE OR PROVIDE FINANCIAL OR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM SUPPORT TO ANY PROGRAM THAT DOES NOT PRESENT CHILDBIRTH AND ADOPTION AS PREFERRED OPTIONS TO ELECTIVE ABORTION. 

B. IN VIEW OF THE STATE'S STRONG INTEREST IN PROMOTING CHILDBIRTH AND ADOPTION OVER ELECTIVE ABORTION, NO SCHOOL DISTRICT OR CHARTER SCHOOL IN THIS STATE MAY ALLOW ANY PRESENTATION DURING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME OR FURNISH ANY MATERIALS TO PUPILS AS PART OF ANY INSTRUCTION THAT DOES NOT GIVE PREFERENCE, ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO CHILDBIRTH AND ADOPTION AS PREFERRED OPTIONS TO ELECTIVE ABORTION. 

http://www.gilbertwatch.com/index.cfm/blog/is-your-school-district-considering-a-sex-education-curriculum-check-arizona-law-first/

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