Parents express concern over sexuality conference

Last updated Nov 25, 2014 12:0pm0

Some Sisters parents expressed concern last week about Sisters School District's purported plans to attend a controversial conference in Seaside next April on adolescent sexuality.

While Sisters health teachers have attended the conference, no students have ever attended, according to district officials. It is not clear whether anyone will attend this year.

Controversy erupted over the conference in the wake of a TV news report that detailed some of the materials that had reportedly been presented at the conference.

KOIN 6 News published stories on November 18 and November 21: "Part of the lesson plan at a workshop at the Oregon Adolescent Sexuality Conference (ASC) is an adult website called Virtual Fem," the November 18 story reported.

"In addition to the content from that website, numerous handouts, such as one that encourages cyber and phone sex, have been passed out to high school and middle school students in attendance.

The pamphlets go on to suggest other ways students can engage in intimate activities without going all the way, including bathing together, shaving each other, wearing each other's underwear, role-playing, buying an extra-large pair of pajama bottoms to sleep in together, lap dances and strip teases." (See link with the online version of this story at http://www.nuggetnews.com for full story.)

The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has a representative on the steering committee for the conference, but in a statement the department said, "ODE is not a sponsor of the ASC, and no state or federal funds go to support the conference." (Full text of the statement is available with the online version of this story at http://www.nuggetnews.com.)

The Oregon Adolescent Sexuality Conference website (link at http://www.nuggetnews.com) lists a wide variety of presentations and workshops from the 2014 conference.

KOIN 6 goes on to note that, "Gervais, Sherwood, Sheridan, Willamina, Bethel, Corvallis, St. Helens, and Sisters have sent in their paperwork to attend this upcoming year."

That raised questions for Sisters parent Robin Benson, who contacted The Nugget to ask who from Sisters would be attending.

"It's not something that I want my kids seeing," she said. "It doesn't seem like something Sisters would teach or the values Sisters upholds."

In the statement issued Monday, ODE said that "materials are handed out at the conference by approved vendors. The material referenced in the news story is out of a 'zine' written by youth/young adults that are involved in their programming for high-risk youth. The material is not intended for nor is it distributed to classroom youth. Condoms (female and male), dental dams, and information on other contraception is available at the conference through vendors. Materials are available from vendors and are not handed out to all attendees. The (KOIN 6) news story included images of a pornographic nature that were not displayed to conference attendees during the conference."

Superintendent Jim Golden told The Nugget that, "... we use curriculum recommended by ODE and both (health teachers) Julie Patton and Heather Johnson did attend the conference in Seaside but we have NEVER brought kids to the conference - nor would we, ever. The school board did look at the curriculum and we made it available for parents to review before we used it. We also allow parents to opt out of having their kids have the curriculum."

Golden told The Nugget that the health teachers could choose to attend again in 2015 if they wish. No district funds would be used; their attendance would be funded through an ODE curriculum grant.

School board chairman Don Hedrick echoed the concerns that Benson expressed, saying that the materials discussed in the news story are "things that none of us would want our kids to hear about in the classroom."

Those types of materials are not part of Sisters' curriculum.

Hedrick noted that the board has asked Patton and Johnson to make a presentation at the Wednesday, December 10, board meeting on what they cover in the classroom regarding sex education.

Text of ODE statement

Adolescent Sexuality Conference Coverage Info

Overview

KOIN 6 aired an investigative news story 11/18/14 at 11 p.m. on the Adolescent Sexuality Conference (ASC). The video contained a number of inaccuracies. In addition, a letter, with similar inaccuracies, was sent out to districts participating in the WISE grant from a group called Parents' Rights in Education. KOIN has made a few corrections to their online piece regarding their statements around the use of state and federal funds.

ODE Involvement

• The ASC is not an ODE conference. ODE is not a sponsor of the ASC and no state or federal funds go to support the conference.

• ODE has one representative on the Steering Committee and has provided workshops on state standards and benchmarks annually at the conference. That staff member's time is paid for through the WISE grant.

• The Steering committee is made up of state (ODE, DHS, OHA) as well as nonprofit agency representatives. Brad Victor, sexuality education specialist, has participated in these meetings to help ensure that the conference provides workshops specific to sexuality health education, teacher development, and continuing education requirements, and continues to be a resource for districts. Brad has presented on the WISE grant as well as state law, standards, and benchmarks at the conference.

State standards

• Oregon State Law requires schools to provide age appropriate comprehensive sexuality education (ORS 336.455). Sexuality education resources, including state law and K-12 benchmarks, can be found online at: http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?=836.

• There is no state required curriculum around sex ed. The state board adopts state standards as part of the heath standards. Curriculum is adopted locally by local school boards.

Conference Generally

• The conference invites participants from community groups, schools, and diverse disciplines to participate. Workshops and presentations emphasize the many, interrelated factors that add to the complexity of sexual health in young people's lives.

•This is the 38th year of the conference

• ODE as the grant facilitator, has allowed WISE school districts to use grant funding to participate in the conference at their discretion. School districts are not required to send a team to this professional development opportunity and may instead use their funds to support other comprehensive sexuality education needs. ODE continues to support this practice.

• This is a conference primarily targeted at adults. Last year, approximately 75% of attendees were adults.

• All youth (under 18) are required to have written signed parent/guardian permission and are to be chaperoned while at the conference.

• According to the Oregon Teen Pregnancy Task Force, the 501c3 that puts on the ASC conference, a total of 60 youth (under 18) attended the conference last year. Out of those youth, 36 where from WISE schools. All WISE youth in attendance were high school students.

• The vast majority of youth present are part of youth leadership programs as part of sexuality education in their schools. Peer to peer education is very effective. An important clarification is that youth educators do not teach sexuality. The peer to peer education is focused on healthy relationship skills, such as setting personal limits and honoring the limits of others.

Clarifications from KOIN Coverage

• Brad Victor is not the "Director" of the conference. He is a member of the Oregon Teen Pregnancy Task Force (OPTPF) and his time on the Steering Committee is paid for through the WISE Grant (private foundation funds).

• Brad Victor conducted the interview as a member of OTPTF. Before beginning the interview, Brad told the reporter that questioning based on a press release from Parent Rights in Education would not be addressed. The reporter did not adhere to this.

• Materials are handed out at the conference by approved vendors. The material referenced in the news story is out of a "zine" written by youth/young adults that are involved in their programming for high risk youth. The material is not intended for nor is it distributed to classroom youth. Condoms (female and male, dental dams, and information on other contraception is available at the conference through vendors.

• Materials are available from vendors and are not handed out to all attendees.

• The news story included images of a pornographic nature that were not displayed to conference attendees during the conference.