Parents blasted the Scarborough sex education program at a Board of Education meeting Thursday, but the board held off on any action until school staff comment in a meeting set for August.

Nearly everyone who spoke during the meeting opposed the district’s lessons on condoms and explicit puberty discussions that occur in the fifth grade. Most said they would like to see the district employ the abstinence-based curriculum, taught by Heritage of Maine, called Heritage Keepers.

The discussion was not part of the agenda, but the residents were concerned that the district will continue teaching the segment next year if the discussion does not take place soon. Board members supported the parents’ right to discuss the program and voted to place the item on the agenda.

“I think we need to hear parents’ concerns and take them into consideration,” said board member Dianne Messer.

Scarborough resident Donna Pierce has been trying to get the district to consider a change in its sexual education classes to abstinence based program. Her quest started during the winter and after speaking with a middle school teacher, principal and the superintendent her concerns finally ended up before the school board.

On Thursday she again asked the board if it was age-appropriate to have condom demonstrations in the eighth grade and to teach fifth grade students words like “wet dreams” and “hard-ons.”

Pierce said these lessons should not be taught in a co-ed class. She questioned the program’s content and the district’s claims that the classes are abstinence-based while students also are taught about contraceptives.

“We are giving our students a confusing message,” she said.

Students also are getting mixed messages about condoms being able to successfully defend against sexually transmitted diseases, Pierce said, adding they are not foolproof.

“To me it is unconscionable we have been teaching our children condom use with all of these risk factors,” she said.

Parent Lisa Lowry said the district should work to keep children innocent for as long as possible since there are outside influences already causing them to grow up too soon.

“I think it’s appalling what you are doing to our children,” she said. “Thank God I’m finding out (now) my daughter next year … will be handling condoms and filling up applicators with spermicide,” she said.

Parent Karen Vachon said she was disappointed with the district. She told the board that her son was told he would receive extra points if he got her to sign the permission slip to participate in the class. Vachon also said she was told that the teacher would not discuss condoms. The teacher didn’t but that section was taught by the school nurse.

“We need to take these condom demonstrations out of school; they don’t belong there and they don’t belong in the eighth grade,” she said.

In response to the parents’ concerns, the Board of Education has scheduled a workshop to discuss the sex education curriculum in August, which will include a staff presentation.

Superintendent Bill Michaud said he is hoping to receive some direction from the board on how to proceed with the issue following the meeting.

“Our perspective all along is the board shouldn’t take any action or make any decisions before they hear from both sides of the issue,” Michaud said.

Some board members were cautious in discussing the curriculum until after the August meeting. Others, however, did express their opinions on the issue.

“I personally feel the topic of sex education belongs at home,” said Messer.

Michaud said there has been some misinformation about what has gone on in the sex education class. For example, the condom demonstrations do not involve a bottle, but rather a tube of contraceptive foam. While a packaged condom is passed around the class, students do not take one home nor do they use them in the class.

“They do not practice putting a condom on anything,” Michaud said.

As for Vachon’s concerns about bonus points for signing the permission slip, Michaud said the bonus points would be given out if the student discussed the issue with the parent, not just for a parent signing the paper. The idea, he said, was to create dialogue between parents and children.

The fifth grade class does have a lesson on puberty where some sexual slang and terms are discussed, but students raise the issues as part of the discussion, Michaud said.

There is some confusion on whether the district can use the Heritage of Maine program. Michaud said the program may be taught in conjunction with the district’s comprehensive program, but it can’t be the only program used in the district.

“I really believe parents have the absolute right to make decisions about what their children will learn in terms of sexuality,” Michaud said, adding he wants to make sure that options are available for parents. “I don’t want one side making a decision for everybody.”

The specific lessons that are causing the concern are not taught until November and there is enough time to make any changes the board may deem necessary, he said.

The district also is in the process of forming a focus group comprised of concerned residents, to get opinions and ideas about sex education, though the group’s exact purpose is not known, Michaud said.

Those who are interested in joining the group may submit their name at the Superintendent’s Office or send a letter to the office at PO Box 370, Scarborough, Maine, 04074.

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