Tennessee sex-ed law could be national model

State legislators in Tennessee have made it official: Sex toys and graphic promotions of sexual activity are not welcome in public schools.

With the signing into law of SB 3310 by Gov. Bill Haslam, public schools that teach sex education classes must emphasize abstinence, and teachers are barred from promoting "gateway sexual activity" that encourages students to sexually experiment.

"We are very pleased with the passage of the Tennessee law, and we think that it could and should serve as a model for other states to follow," said Valerie Huber, executive director of the National Abstinence Education Association.

Tennessee only mandates sex education in school districts where the teen pregnancy rate exceeds a certain rate. But before the new law, some districts brought in speakers and curriculum that included explicit depictions of sexual conduct.

The Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACTN) documented a 2010 incident at Hillsboro High School in Nashville when a speaker with Nashville CARES, an AIDS awareness and education program, taught a sex education class at the school. The speaker used anatomically correct models to show students how to perform a graphic sex act. FACTN also noted that in some schools, Planned Parenthood presented sexual education curriculum that included links to its national website.

Continue reading at www.bpnews.net

« Previous Article

Posting Policy

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, vulgarity, profanity, all caps, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain a courteous and useful public environment where we can engage in reasonable discourse. Read more.

Tom Wiegand

Some good news among almost all bad! Refreshing! This same kind of common sense management of Government must be enacted at the Federal level!
- Evermyrtle
  
  Why the problem of how much to teach students about sex. If they go to school that is about the first thing they learn, from "well informed' other students. At least that was true a long, long time ago, when I went to school.
  - Evermyrtle
    
    I'm sorry, you do not learn how to prevent diseases with the sex from other students,so maybe teaching sex it is a good ideas?????
    - Evermyrtle
      
      This is a major stride forward and every state should follow and make such laws .
      
      They should teach the Biblical angle about taking care of the body which is the temple of GOD. One of my favorites can be found in I Corinthians 6:13-20.
    - Evermyrtle
      
      I misspoke again, I meant to teach the danger of uncontrolled sex activity in lives of anybody., the diseases that can cause.
      - Eagle 2
        
        Thank you for the correction. Now it makes more sense.
      - Evermyrtle
        
        Thanks! Sometime my fingers get into action before my brain can catch up.
- Elleryqueen
  
  Never happen while present pseudo-president is in office.
- Bob
  
  I agree that all 50 states need to pass simular laws. However, this must be done by each state not the federal government. The federal government is too big & has been interfering & messing up everything & destroying Christianity & family life in America. This is why each state must be strong & sovereign.
Taquoshi

My first college room mate ended up with genital herpes and warts. It was not a happy moment.
- LatterDayEsther
  
  The consequences of "free" fun are never very pretty.
Sandy B

GO TENNESSEE – we're proud of you! (That's my home state.) Lets hope the other states are watching and learning!
- Doris
  
  This is a very good thing. I hope TN. stays in this thinking and gets rid of all the Sharia law supporters.
Michael Payne

Now if we could just get Christians to stop being socialists, and get their children out of theft-funded government humanistic religious madrassas. The enemy knows the battle:
Humanist, Charles F. Potter wrote in his book “Humanism, A New Religion” in 1930, "Education is
thus a most powerful ally of humanism, and every American school is a school of humanism. What can
a theistic Sunday school's meeting for an hour once a week and teaching only a fraction of the children
do to stem the tide of the five-day program of humanistic teaching?"
and another,
John J. Dunphy, in his award winning essay, The Humanist (1983), illustrates this same strategic focus,
"The battle for humankind's future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers
who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: A religion of humanity — utilizing a
classroom instead of a pulpit to carry humanist values into wherever they teach. The classroom must
and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new — the rotting corpse of Christianity,
together with its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism."

There is no redeeming an institution that exists by the collective coercing moneies from everyone to create indoctrination centers. You can call it public, the peoples, or whatever you like; however, "government" is the correct word. Homeschool your children. Can't afford it? We moved into a one room house. Gratia.
- wisdomcries
  
  I applaud you Michael for having knowledge of the devious use of public education. I have a plethora of documents, quotes, articles penned by these very monsters who created our Public Indoctrination system and yet the naive and ignorant won't even acknowledge that it is the very words or the very founders who are saying it, not some crazy conspiracy I invented.
  
  John Dewey (called the father of modern Ed): "A child that can think for themselves is a danger to the collective society"
  
  Benjamin Bloom: "Education is not about facts or learning, it is about affecting fixed beliefs, attitudes and feelings"
  
  BF Skinner is a behavioral psychologist and he wrote much of our modern curriculum, they follow his model to the tee.
  - REX
    
    Kids having sex at a early age have no concept of getting diseases- babies etc. You Micheal – and wisdomcries have no idea of religious concepts of why the Lord condems sex before your married. You In general Applaud sexual desires for kids and others because you live in the concept of living in athesists ways. Your morals are for the earthly way of living and not in the concept of doing what is right in Gods ways. In other words you have denied the Lord and Love living the sinful ways of lfe. You will get what you deserve in time for your athesist way of thinking. As you will live in total hell and desturction of life and have nothing but torment for eternity. Hope you enjoy Hell for eternity. That is where your going unless you repent of your ways.
- David
  
  Only one problem there is no salvation in man! you are leading others to an eternity alone in Hell ! God exists and wants everyone to be saved, only those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord will have eternal Life!
Carl

Amen, I'm very pleased with our State legislature! If our young people practice abstinence, then the other issues surrounding sexual activity can't exist. No STDs, no pregnant teens can exist without sex. I applaud our great state of Tennessee!
32eagle

I am glad to see morality -teachers should be good honest folks with high morals-this will fit in nicely. I think it is a marvelous distinction to turn away from filth and perversion and give great care to students that are trying to figure life out and their future.
Melody

Thank you Tennessee…. when are adults going to get through their heads that putting garbage into a child minds does nothing but trash their innocence and promote indecent activity that they would never think of on their own. If the objective is to trash young people mind promoting sex ed like this is what educators think is best for young people….. there is something sinister going on in adults mind that don't have kids best interest in mind. Stop the demonic infiltration of our kids and their lives.
- cheryl s.
  
  I agree with your comment. The sex educators FIRMLY believe that what they are doing is right and good. What a joke.
  They are absolutely out of their minds!
  The entire bunch of these zombie lefties, are entrusted with the mission of corrupting the minds of young children and stealing their innocence. Thanks, all you lefty drones!
http://Zonica.com Steve

Amen go Tennessee.
Miss Vinay Duggal

Thank you TN for setting an example for the rest of America. Hopefully, this will lead to less unwanted teenage pregnancies and diseases and will allow America's young people to focus on friendships, careers, and civic activities.
A. Reginald

Sex education was easy for those of us raised on a farm and with Christian parents. The mechanics we learned from the bull and the cow, or the boar and the sow. The morality we learned from our parents. We were taught in no uncertain terms that, "Flies carry germs; keep yours closed!"
Chris P

Wow – are people in the Southern States so freaking dumb that they cannot figure out what is going on when animals mate? The sheer ignorance and backwardness is amazing. Either that or parents lie to their children there.

Dogs and horses have their penises out for all to see. Are you going to go victorian on us and suggest that all animals wear clothes.
- A. Reginald
  
  Nice exposure of either your ignorance or left wing elitism, Chris. I have a strong suspicion that rural rednecks are a lot more atune to nature than are the "down you noses" urban elite..
  - KnowTheTruthToday
    
    On the bright side – Thank God he is not from the South – or so it appears – down here, we all hope and pray he stays up there where he is at.
- Deanbartlett
  
  Ah another civil response from a progressive. The more you people respond with your trash talk the less people respect
  you or you message whatever that may be.
- daveG
  
  Thank God we had "Slick Willie" to teach our kids that oral sex is NOT sex. So, now we have kids as young as 10 years old performing oral sex on boys. They say it's not sex. What do you expect after the President of the United States says that it isn't??? The kids say, "It's like giving him a good night kiss." When asked as to why they do it, they say, "I want him to like me." And you know what????? As long as they keep doing it, they'll keep liking them…..so it works!!! Great going, Slick!!
- REX
  
  Chris: What there trying to show as examples is about animals mating and the people today doing the same thing as animals do. I guess your not to bright to understand that basic concept. And nothing wrong with Southern Areas. The Southern Areas do have stict laws on everything. I guess you never been in the Southern areas to understand there laws. I have. And seen there laws take place. quit talking because you just made a fool of yourself now.
msjallen

The home should be the place to teach the dangers of sex before marriage. When the Bible is taught consistently and correctly with love in the home children will learn to do what is right. Children need standards and guidelines and we as parents are the ones responsible to give it to them. However, not every child will follow but we still must do our best to make God's will known to our children. Quite frankly, I don't trust teachers or anyone else to teach my children what they need to be taught at home about life. Of course they get plenty of information from their peers and that we can't help.
- http://twitter.com/maalog @maalog
  
  thank you so much,keep the government and teachers out of raising my children.
Marilyn Smith

Thank you, Tennesee! Praise God!
Sharon

Go Tennessee!!!
Carol Goodwin

Sex education should be from the parents and at an age appropriate time and this will vary from child to child. They mature at different levels. However, with all the sexually charged prime time TV these days, most kids learn at a very early age. Public school is NOT a place for this kind of education. Perhaps school could stress good manners and the rights of students personal space to help alleviate bullying and other problems which seem to be generated at school. This could be part of a well run "Social Studies" curriculum. Teaching respect for one another and the basic golden rule principle could go a long way in a lot of the problems, particularly if begun in early elementary grades.
Dennis

Well finally someone woke up, it seems but for some reason im waiting for the other end to drop on this so to speak.It seems to good to be true.
- keyboardshark
  
  Much better to use Tennessee's model instead of what the California public school liberals have cookin':
  
  "School Retreats Spotlight 'Kinky Sex,' Plastic Genitals
  
  Men pretending to have homosexual intercourse, discussions of “kinky sex,” hats with plastic testicles and cross-dressing: It was all part of an official California public-school district retreat, a lawsuit says.
  
  School administrators from the Lake Elsinore Unified School District have participated in the annual retreats since 2008, according to court documents.
  
  The Press-Enterprise, a newspaper in Riverside, Calif., reported that an assistant principal has had enough, claiming she was the victim of sexual harassment, discrimination and a hostile work environment.
  
  Kathryn Jones, 42, said the retreats were not optional; administrators were required to attend the events held at Coachella Valley hotels, where district leaders allowed and participated in the risqué behavior.
  
  “You just shake your head at something like this,” Andrew Rosenberry, Jones’ attorney, told the paper. “The conduct is so outrageous.”
  http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/school-retreats-spotli…
  
  Better yet–Keep government out of schools altogether.
Harold

It's about time someone with some morals, do something about the trash thats being promoted by 'planned parent Hoodies.
And stop them from corruting the school kids. They follow the Communist Manefesto of destroying the morals of the country by starting with school kids.
- pat
  
  WTP should push anti-christianity as hate crimes, promoting muslim agenda's as national security issue, gay marriage as national security issue, IRS as a national security issue, U.N as national security issue, the boarders as national security issue, democRATS and Odumber as a national security issue, socialism and communism as a national security issue and ALL occupiers in the gov. branches, SCOTUS and all judges and liewyers as a national security issue. Tell them fix these to WTP satisfaction or a declaration of war will be enforced upon the occupiers. See what this stirs up.
reid

So what is it that they are teaching in Sex Ed Class ? And what is the goal of the class ? Just wondering cause neither side of the issue seldom says what is they are hoping to achieve . or what it is they are saying.
- Eagle 2
  
  Sex Education has "evolved" in schools, from teaching about understanding the maturity process in girls and boys to disease control to a "just do it" and "how to" course. Some teachers can't control themselves and in some evil way get a "tingle down their leg" when they promote students to have early sex, even to the point of graphic demonstrations. Sad and reprehensible. That is not "education". Education used to have a positive connotation – not today. In today's world where our kids are bombarded daily with sexuality, the only effective sex education tool is abstinence and the dangers of STD or, as Carol Goodwin (above) says, teach good overall behavior or nothing. Teacher morality has declined so much; I don't want them teaching my kids and grandkids "how to grow up" by their standards. Follow the Tennessee example.
Bill1776

If you want your children brain washed send them to government school.
- keyboardshark
  
  Exactly. Government should not be involved in the education of children in any way, shape or form. That was how Nazi Germany brainwashed a generation of youth. All schools should be privately run and parents should be free to send their children to whichever school they choose, or, better yet, home school them.
Bill Michael

Tennessee, the buckle of the "Bible Belt"…!!!
blackyb

They need to keep their mouths shut about sex in school, anyway. They can get educated by their parents in this and other personal things that parents should take care of. It is not the schools business to take on this role. These nasty people need to shut their mouths. Parents should demand the teachers teach things the children need to learn. Skills and trades, math, science, english, History and The Constitution and the Truth, the law. Keep social leanings to themselves and quit encouraging them to allow different cultures into this nation who do not assimilate, but want us to bend to their cultures. Keep them out.
Frank Zappa

I live in crack head California, land of the fag and drag and I work in the city of fruits and nuts, the state of steers and Qu&&rs. We have lost our morals and there is NO HOPE on the horizon for this state, thank GOD that I no longer have School aged children that attend the secular humanist boot camps, schools have your children for almost 6 hours a day while your local church has them for an hour or two at best, so who do you think will win the hearts and souls of the young?

We have lost multiple generations to the Carl Marx schools of higher learning here in America, and in fact we have already lost America. With Obama getting the nod from our miss lead people and the state of our economy we are finished. Good By America, Good By. IF we would only turn back to the God who created this nation then we would have a chance. It matters NOT who the next President that is elected, what matters is that we have failed in our roll as Americans to give God the Glory and turn to him with our whole heart, there fore the hand of God has lifted from this country and a SWORD OF JUDGEMENT is in its place. AMERICA WILL BURN.
MY own brother was one such victim of the "Lower Institutions" of learning in a college in Oregon. He is no longer with us sad to say.
- Eden
  
  Back in our hippie daze, I used to dig your absurd Mother's of Invention albums. So thankful that you too have left the drugs & insanity—- & are propagating the Truth now. (…sorry couldn't resist :) But seriously, Good points. May we keep crying out to God that He would visit California & other States of Confusion & establish His beachheads of Spiritual Revolution. http://edenpoliticalcartoons.com/?p=1178
- Trisha Holmeide
  
  Please don't give up hope–that's what the enemies of God want us to do. As Christians we are going to be tested, but through it all we must keep our faith and live to experience the "Joy" God intended us to enjoy, and trust He is preparing the way for His children to live with Him eternally…what more could anyone want? Let's live as if we were already in Heaven and make man's governments irrelevant by doing everything for our brothers and sisters and ourselves that people normally turn to the government for–let's bring peace and personal responsibility back into our lives and live by what we know to be God's way forward for all. God Bless you.
- sam
  
  Hear hear! you are so correct. If we could clean house of the stupid, socialist, liberals, democrates, muslimes brotherhood, jeihad and unions, all wanting to destroy our country wouldn't it be a wonderful place. Dumbing down the generations to the point they depend on government and not personal honor and respect is what we have to fight. This county was built on honest workers and personal pride of accomplishments. Not people looking for a free hand out and for others to support them. We don't have the obummer "stash" as his followers dream about.
  God, family and morals are what built this country, we must work hard to raise our standards and demand the respect from the youth that's being brainwashed in these socialist liberal schools. Hollywood is especially sickening, I refuse to watch their movies and support them as they support the likes of the traitor obummer! Hollywood should be boycotted!
Treetorn

Such legislation is counterproductive, not warranted, and not needed. They are only political tools which mask the real issue, people forcing other people to pay for other peoples desires. It is because consumers are forced into public education and don't have a choice why such laws are created. It is only a artificial outlet for frustrated voters.

If people were not forced into such things and had other choices, no school would get away with this. Laws, even under good intentions, created to restrict behavior based on preferable emotions only serve to enslave others. You cannot legislate morality. After all, who morality do do you choose? Who's liberty do you restrict?

Such laws that legislate behavior only restrict the law abiding, not criminal behavior by its own definition. .They erode liberty at the expense of residents. The government should not be in the education business, period.

No, the answer is to end compulsory education and to allow consumers to choose there own education standards. Then they can hold such institutions accountable. Public education is cruel because it causes education disparity.
- Dave
  
  Good reply. Why cannot people get it through their Thick heads that this type of thinking is exactly why the kids are Ignorant of what they Need to know about sex and it's dangers AND it's good points? Nothing more than the furthering of ignorance. And the thought that sex education is the Parent's responsibility only is so far removed from what is Actually happening as to be ludicrous because most parents do NOT want to talk about it with their kids! There is one, irrefutable fact, that cannot be dismissed here-hormones are a part of Everyone's being and you CANNOT stop those no matter how you try! The urge to reproduce is ingrained, by God, in each and every one of us at birth. Kids ARE going to experiment, have sex, and you will NOT stop it. Having said that, if the schools were teaching sex ed with Explicit and graphic demonstrations, I do feel that is going a bit too far. To legislate some draconian law regarding it is going a bit too far. Just another example of government run amuck.
Deanbartlett

I live 28 miles from Tennessee in NC, many time over the last 10 years I have wished I could sell out and move there one more reason.
jes1964

Finally! Someone in our government shows some morality! God will bless this move, makes me want to move to Tenn even more!
krakabich

Public schools have no real lasting success in teaching morality or anything else for that matter. They want to just keep throwing money down the rat hole. Most high school grads can't even read or write cursive and they generally have some idea they are owed something.
Virginia Dotson

I will not let school teachs my children their poluted version of sex. Yeahhhhhhhhh for Tennessee.
Eden

May we keep seeking God that He would visit so many States of Confusion! And like Tennessee, turn them into beachheads of Spiritual Revolution. For our kids & great grand kids sakes! http://edenpoliticalcartoons.com/?p=1178
deprofundisclamavi

Great until some goofball empty robe of a judge strikes it down. :(
Andy in Oregan

when my dad told me about sex I almost laughed I knew more than he ever told me. It was a joke.
ounbbl

Didn't I read somewhere just a few days ago that in a school somewhere in USA (united satanic america) a teacher was educating pupils with some plastic models of genitals, not only that, dressing toys up in the style of effeminate, transsexual, transgender, transvestism, etc. I don't remember whether they were showing how to do sodomy, in addition to heterosexual coitus. (IMMC, to pre-teens they were).

Anyway, the way our society with culture has fallen in the hands of Satan with Economy and Education and Environment following the example of Entertainment being like as toys played in Satan's hands, there will be not doubt some who will cry foul and bring a suit claiming that it is anti-Constitutional. Well, speaking of the Supreme Court, how can we be sure no one on its bench is to be found as a messenger of Satan, when many right or wrong is decided by tossing 5:4 ;-<
Angie

Good for the Governor of Tennessee to say that this immorality is not wanted in public schools there in TN. I just hope that our President of the US does not sign an Executive Order to force all the schools to teach this immoral drivel to our children. Sounds like something he might do.
csh

Yea Tennessee!!! You show the rest of the states how to stand up for morality. We might not be able to legislate morality itself, but we can certainly legislate laws that respect it. The last few decades have been a moral slide in our public schools promoted by immoral agendas creeping into our educational system. Glad to see a state taking action to stop it.
Paul

Anybody wonder why we even NEED such a law? How far we have fallen.