Outcry Over School’s Sex Education Curriculum Grows
Parents say the curriculum goes beyond what is required by a new state law to teach comprehensive sex education.
The San Diego Union-Tribune:
Complaints About Sex Education Classes Escalate
Tuesday’s meeting marked the second time an organized group of parents have appeared before the board to complain about the curriculum. District public information officer Andrew Sharp said the board received a letter requesting trustees discuss the issue, and district officials are working to place it on the agenda. The new curriculum is taught in grades 6, 8 and in high school. Almost 300 San Diego Unified classroom teachers have been trained in the curriculum, which was adopted last year in response to the California Healthy Youth Act, which went into effect in January. The new law requires school districts to provide comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention lessons in middle and high school, and calls for the curriculum to address sexual orientations, gender identities and sexually transmitted diseases. (Warth, 5/18)
In other news from across the state —
KPCC:
Hundreds Of California Foster Children Are Arrested When They Lash Out
California's foster children are some of the state's most vulnerable people, and the trauma out of being separated from loved ones means they may develop emotional problems. So some might act out. In certain shelters and group homes around the state, that's led to children as young as 8 being arrested. (Duran, 5/18)
The Mercury News:
Santa Clara County Sued By Pediatrician Fired In Wake Of Toddler’s Killing
A pediatrician who was one of two fired by Santa Clara County last year for allegedly failing to report glaring signs of abuse on a toddler — which may have spared the 2-year-old boy a horrific death had it come to light — has filed a lawsuit against the county, saying she was scapegoated for problems she was trying to fix. Melissa Egge and her then-boss John Stirling were first suspended then terminated last April. On Wednesday, Egge’s attorney filed a complaint for damages alleging that she was sent packing after she spoke up about “systemic failures and mistakes of her supervisors,” and that she had told Stirling about her concerns about the boy and was assured that he would notify Child Protective Services. (Kurhi, 5/18)