Rhode Island: Sex Education Program Still Flawed, Says ACLU

Following up on its earlier complaints, the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) claimed again this week that a federally funded abstinence program "continues to have serious flaws."

Heritage of Rhode Island's abstinence program was being used in Woonsocket schools earlier this year, though the program had not undergone the required state vetting for public schools. Coincident to an ACLU complaint about the program, Education Commissioner Peter McWalters sent an advisory in March informing districts that the Heritage program was "NOT consistent with the Rhode Island Health Education Standards."

During the summer, Heritage worked with the state education department to design a program that fulfilled all state criteria, said Elliot Krieger, department spokesperson. Earlier this month, McWalters approved the program as one of many sex education programs local school officials could adopt.

However, ACLU contends the abstinence program still violates state standards by providing information on condoms that contradicts findings of CDC and the World Health Organization. In addition, the program's emphasis on marriage "persists in isolating gay and lesbian youth and students in non-traditional families," said ACLU, and "appears to be a roadmap to instilling depression, if not fear, in gay and lesbian teens who cannot benefit from marriage, and in other students who live in non-traditional households."

Though the program is not now being taught in any Rhode Island public schools, Kreiger said he has no intention of striking it from the curriculum or conducting further reviews of it. If it is taught again, the department may monitor its use to ensure students are being instructed correctly, he said.

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