4th-Graders Reprimanded For Lewd Acts in Classroom.

MARBLE FALLS -- Police are investigating allegations that five fourth-grade boys performed oral sex on one another during class at least twice at Marble Falls Elementary School.

School officials confirm that the incidents took place and that they are treating the acts as lewd behavior. The boys were suspended for a day, have been put in alternative classes for 10 days and will receive counseling, said Superintendent Dana Marable.

However, at least one mother, who asked not to be identified to protect her son's identity, said the acts were done under threat.

"My boy didn't want to, and the other boys threatened him if he didn't," she said.

In interviews with police, the boys -- all ages 9 and 10 -- admitted the acts took place last fall and again in February, said Marble Falls police Capt. Robert Sooter.

Marable said the acts took place during a free reading time, when everyone in the classroom, including the teacher, is supposed to be reading. The boys had retreated to beanbag chairs in the back of the classroom and were using their coats to hide from the teacher, the parent said.

"The little boys didn't do it in front of the teacher," Marable said. "They hid."

A child in the class told the teacher about the sex acts March 7, two days before spring break. The boys were suspended March 8. When they returned from spring break March 18, they were placed in alternative education.

Police said they learned about the incident March 18. School officials said they notified authorities March 8, in compliance with a Texas law requiring that abuse incidents be reported within 48 hours.

"All authorities have been notified in accordance with the letter of the law," said Marble Falls Elementary Principal Steve Shroft.

Police are concerned about three things: whether any of the boys used coercion and might be charged with a crime; whether the teacher or school officials were negligent or were slow to report the incidents; and whether the boys were re-enacting behavior they had learned elsewhere.

"Obviously, this is some kind of learned behavior, and it's our job to learn where it came from," Sooter said.

Amanda Van Hoozer, director of program services for the Children's Advocacy Center in Austin, said it's possible that one boy is more sexually advanced than the others and is sharing this knowledge. But, she said, a history of sex abuse is a more likely explanation.

"Some kids are really precocious," Van Hoozer said. "They know a lot more than other kids. They've seen it in a magazine, and they've decided to try it out for themselves. But if these kids are just normal, average 10-year-olds, most 10-year-olds have not been exposed to this. If they are sexually acting out . . . you certainly want to look at what's going on because it is indicative of abuse."

Van Hoozer said another child in the same circle of friends might have taught the acts to the boys.

"I think it's definitely a red flag that a child somewhere within this network of kids has been abused," she said. "But again, you have to stress that it may not be any of these kids."

Officials with the Texas Department of Protective and Regulatory Services, which investigates allegations of child abuse, said they are aware of the situation but have not opened an investigation.

"At this point, it doesn't appear to have been anyneglect or abuse by the caregiver, because it was child on child," said Marla Sheely, spokeswoman for the agency. "We're still following it. We're still looking over the whole issue of supervision."

The teacher, who was not identified by school officials, is still teaching the class, and there have been no changes of policy, Marable said.

"The younger perversion is taught the easier this choice of behavior becomes an acceptable existence."

It's Elementary: Gay and Lesbian Issues in the Classroom

"...It's Elementary is alarming because the reactions of people in the video--adults, youth, and especially the children--indicate that the foundation for acceptance of homosexuality as a legitimate, healthy alternative to heterosexuality has already been successfully laid down in our country. In fact, within an unknown but growing number of American schools and classrooms, both public and private, affirmation of a sexually deviant minority has been advanced to a much greater degree than most citizens realize.
After I shared this film with the parents of a gay young adult, the couple labeled this a "bait and switch" vehicle. It's Elementary, they observed, seemed to be asking for respect for homosexual people; in reality, it was preaching respect for the homosexual condition. They believed the producers were using a subtle process of effectively and deceptively re-educating children, especially young children, incrementally to the point of accepting behavior that would ordinarily be seen as outside the norm....
This "sanitized presentation" of homosexuality, as the reviewing parents described it, obviously was intended to make it hard for the kids watching the film to discern facts from propaganda. They cited one boy's statement, describing the effect this lesson on homosexuality had had on him: "It's kind of like vegetables: you don't know [you'll like homosexuality] until you try."

Posted on 2/12/02 4:28 PM Pacific by GrandMoM ,p. THE FOLLOWING IS A LETTER I RECEIVED FROM ASSEMBLYMEMBER DENNIS MOUNTJOY REGARDING ASSEMBLY BILL 1326 ,p. Dear Concerned Grandparent: ,p. Thank you for writing to me regarding your support for my nine-word bill,Assembly Bill 1326, which reads:"The promotion of homosexuality in public education is prohibited."This measure would have prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in public education.

Unfortunately, the Assembly Education Committee defeated AB 1326 on January 16. All four Republicans present voted in support. Eight Democrats voted in opposition. A copy of the votes is enclosed

A Los Angeles Unigied School District (LAUSD) teacher testified in support of AB 1326. He explained and displayed the materials he has collected under court order that were being used for LAUSD's "Models of Pride 2" diversity training. Believe me when I tell you that this material is grossly inappropriate to be used in our schools under the guise of "safety" or "diversity" training or anything else. In my view, the material is pornographic and obscene.

I believe government schools should focus their energies on teaching our children to read, to write, to understand mathematics, to think and to analyze. Schools should not seek to use our schools as vehicles for social engineering.

I am very concerned about the direction government school curriculum is headed. Last year's Assembly Bill 1785 (Chapter 955, Statytes if 2000) requires schools to teach sexual orientation as a form of diversity. This year's AB 1434 proposed authorizing payment to outside "organizations" to teach K-12 students diversity. Under AB 1434, diverse sexual orientations, such as trans-sexuality, could be taught to children as normal and healthy.

Late last year, Superintendent of Public Instruction Delaine Eastin created a 38 member task force to draft recommendations and strategies for implementing AB537 (Chapter 587, Statutes of 1999). Interestingly, Mike Marshall, the task force co-chairman, also serves as Executive Director of the San francisco Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center.

Assembly Bill 537 proposes teaching our children diversity in order to create "safe schools." The AB 537 Task Force met in several secret sessions. They drafted a set of 12 recommendations to implement AB537. Under these recommendations, all State curriculums will be change to include alternative sexual lifestyles. In other words, literature, math word provlems, health and social studies classes, as well as other subjects will be tailored to positively protray homosexuality, bisexuality and transgenderism. The California Department of Education is poised to adopt these recommendations as administrative regulations to be followed in every K-12 public school. You can access the recommendations at the following site: http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/safety/ab537/report.pdf

One of the recommendations urges the Department to "create positive, grade-appropriate visual images that include all sexual orientations and gender identities" for use in schools.

I have enclosed a copy of my AB press release, a list of the books approved by LAUSD for use in their diversity training, a page listing the members of the Assembly Education Committee and how you can contact them. I hope you will take the time to view these books and to write to the members of the Assembly Education Committee voicing your opinion on their AB1326 votes.

If you are as concerned as I am, I encourage you to go to your local school district and check out the materials being used for their diversity training or gay/lesbian appreciation days or weeks.

If you think the information is inappropriate, please let your school board know immediately.

Sincerely, Dennis Mountjoy

My letter to the superintendent:

Dear Ms. Marable:

I was shocked and apalled when I read the article regarding the five 4th grade boys performing oral sex in the back of their classroom. But, I was even more disgusted with the action of the school, and the district.

First, how on earth can such an incident take place in a classroom?! Are you teachers not trained to supervise the children in their care, or do they just don't give a damn?

Second, I found it hard to believe the boys received only a one day suspension. What kind of message does this send to the other children in that school? That such an incident is not as bad as, say, getting caught smoking? Which, by the way, when I was in school I received a 5-day suspension for getting caught smoking in the bathroom. In my opinion, you are being far too easy on these children and are leaving the door wide open for further embarassment.

And finally, I wish to express my belief that this is simply chickens coming home to roost-- a result of the public school system forcing sex education and tolerance of homosexuals onto an age group that is way too young to deal with the responsibilites and consequences of sex.

I will never, ever enroll my children into a school in your district. This incident has convinced me to send my children to a private school when the time comes to begin their education.

Sincerely,

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