ACLU Files Suit Over Mississippi Abstinence Summit

On Sept. 9 in US District Court in Jackson, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit against the state Department of Human Services over a 2009 abstinence summit it says featured Bible teachings and religious music. The event was organized by DHS' "Just Wait" Abstinence Unit.

According to the lawsuit, the program began with a minister's prayer and included Christian messages and religious themes throughout. Then-DHS Executive Director Don Taylor introduced Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant as someone who "was not ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ." One of the speakers, Adams County Judge John Hudson, told attendees: "Abstain, God says, from promiscuous sex thou shalt not commit adultery." ACLU has video footage of the event.

The suit, filed on behalf of two Hinds County residents and an underage youth, names current DHS Executive Director Don Thompson and Cheryl E. Sparkman, director of the agency's division of economic assistance. A DHS spokesperson declined to comment on the pending litigation.

DHS has been involved in abstinence programs for years, holding rallies at the state Capitol, sponsoring billboard campaigns and providing STD and pregnancy prevention materials to the public. The state has the nation's highest teen birth rate -- 68 per 1,000 -- and STDs among its young residents are a persistent problem. In 2007, 432 new chlamydia cases were diagnosed in youths ages 10-14, and 8,444 cases were detected among 15- to 19-year-olds. New gonorrhea diagnoses were 118 and 2,641 respectively, in the age groups.

"Instead of preaching, the state needs to start teaching youth how to make responsible and healthy decisions throughout their lives," said Brigitte Amiri of ACLU's national Reproductive Freedom Project. She said DHS never responded to a letter from ACLU that raised similar concerns about a 2008 abstinence conference.

The lawsuit seeks a federal injunction to prevent future summits with religious activity and a refund of any federal funds used to pay for the event.

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