Posted on 07/03/2006 12:23:24 PM PDT by DBeers
(AgapePress) - The prestigious Governor's School of North Carolina (GSNC), a six-week residential summer program for academically and intellectually gifted high school students, is once again being accused of introducing sexually-oriented material to young people without their parents' knowledge.
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a nationwide pro-family legal defense alliance, reports that the GSNC was preparing to show students the sexually explicit film, American History X, as part of a "Race and Film" series, but decided not to do so after ADF threatened to file a lawsuit. The Motion Picture Association of America has given American History X an R-rating for "graphic, brutal violence including rape, pervasive language, strong sexuality and nudity."
Last summer, the GSNC came under fire for presenting a seminar called "The New Gay Teenager," an offering that drew the ire of parents who felt the course amounted to homosexual indoctrination. Earlier this year, the instructor who helped lead that seminar was investigated for allegedly having sex with a minor.
In light of the past and more recent controversies, ADF senior legal counsel Mike Johnson says it is apparent the North Carolina program for gifted teens is attempting to push the envelope. "Even on the website," he notes, "and this is all public record -- anyone can go and check into some of the titles of these seminars they're leading these impressionable school children through -- there's clearly an agenda there."
The state-funded Governor's School prides itself on challenging gifted and talented high school students through a curriculum that explores "the most recent ideas and concepts" in a number of interdisciplinary areas. However, Johnson points out that, by law, the state's public schools are prohibited from teaching sexually-oriented material without informing parents.
"North Carolina law specifically requires that parents be notified and be given an opportunity to opt their students out," the ADF attorney explains. So, to the extent that any portion of the GSNC curriculum violates the law, he says, "that's where we can step in and prevent that."
American History X is regarded as one of the most violent and sexually explicit films on the market, Johnson observes. "The really shocking thing," he asserts, "is that the school officials with the Governor's School in North Carolina apparently attempted to show this, to exhibit it to these 16-, 17-year-old students -- some of them 15 -- without parental notification."
The GSNC is being accused of making a "stealth attempt" to show American History X to students without getting parental approval. According to ADF, in spite of repeated assurances by school officials that parents would be notified regarding any sexually-oriented material presented to students, the school did not notify or obtain permission from parents before trying to show the graphic, R-rated film, and Governor’s School officials were not responsive to requests for specific information about curricula and films that might be shown.
Faced with the threat of an ADF lawsuit, however, the GSNC backed down and decided not to show American History X as part of its "Race and Film" series. Johnson says schools should be required to follow the law, and he is pleased that "so far, we've been able to hold them accountable to North Carolina statutes protecting families."
The state's General Assembly has “deliberately and expressly placed an emphasis on the importance of parental involvement in curriculum related to human sexuality," Johnson adds. Where school officials attempt to circumvent these law's safeguards, he says ADF will continue to defend the rights of families through legal action as necessary.
Related articles:
Gay Seminar Upsets Parents: Governor's School's seminar called 'The New Gay Teenager'
'The New Gay Teenager'
Can someone please explain what the need is to indoctrinate young kids regarding race and sexuality during a six week summer residential program? It is still my opinion that neither of these should be taught in school. I have seen no evidence that society at large or individual children have been 'saved' by these programs.
Faced with the threat of an ADF lawsuit, however, the GSNC backed down and decided not to show American History X as part of its "Race and Film" series. Johnson says schools should be required to follow the law, and he is pleased that "so far, we've been able to hold them accountable to North Carolina statutes protecting families."
The Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), a nationwide pro-family legal defense alliance, is an activist conservative legal opponent of the many leftist legal activist organizations e.g. ACLU & Lambda Legal, etcetera.
FYI - related: 'Disrobed': How Conservatives Can Take Back the Courts
BTTT.
I have to say though, that AHX is a really good movie. It doesnt glorify the detrimental behavior, it demonizes it. The rape scene is pretty gruesome, but is shown to make clear the fake brotherhood that "exists" within those racial groups. With that said.. I think the movie is acceptable for most 15 y/o's compared to what they have already seen.. .It should still be the parents prerogative to say no, however.
Agreed...
Wow, things have changed. I went to the Virginia version of the Governor's School (a four-week residential summer program at Mary Washington College in Fredericksburg) in 1981, and the worst thing they did to us was show us "Doctor Strangelove" and "Inherit the Wind".
}:-)4
There's still no accountability as nobody is likely to lose their job over this. That's why these school indoctrinators are shameless and fearless.
The article fails to mention that the organizer of "The New Gay Teenager" at Governor's school was later charged with sexually abusing a student (female/female).
One instructor of “The New Gay Teenager” seminar was Wesley Nemenz — the 19-year-old “office assistant” for the Governor’s School. The Burrowses said Nemenz had contact with their son, “trying to convince him to start a ‘Gay & Lesbian’ club at his high school.”
The other instructor, Susan Wiseman, is a Winston-Salem educator in social sciences. She is listed as a youth coordinator for the Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)-Winston-Salem.
Nemenz declined to be interviewed when reached by CJ. Wiseman’s phone number had been disconnected.
A handout for the seminar explained how “gay adolescence” progressed from the 1970s until now. It defined sexual orientation as “the preponderance of erotic feelings, thoughts, and fantasies one has for members of a particular sex, both sexes, or neither sex.” Sexual identity was defined as “a socially recognized label that names sexual feelings, attraction, and behavior.”
The handout, based on Savin-Williams’s book, said although there is a way to identify people, it is impossible to quantify them.
While Milner and Watson denied any agenda at the Governor’s School, Nemenz expressed a different view.
“To lump every distinct, individual faculty member together and say that they had a collective ‘agenda’ is absolutely ridiculous,” Nemenz wrote in a Governor’s School message board on the MySpace Internet Web site. But he said as individuals, “we all have agendas. It is my personal belief that [the Governor’s School] is only an enabler for you to create your own agenda.
“In doing the New Gay Teenager seminar, my ‘agenda’ was to shed light on an interesting way of looking at sexuality and to talk about my personal experience. … I believe my agenda succeeded. And I believe that people are better off for it. I could be wrong … but it’s my agenda and I’ll tout it if I want to. We all have our agendas.”
Lesbian Teacher Avoids Prosecution In Molestation Case
Wiseman is also a leader in a local PFLAG chapter in Winston-Salem and has taught a course titled "The New Gay Teenager" at the prestigious North Carolina Governor's School during the summer. This school recruits top students from the state to participate in various courses during the summer break.
Wiseman's course was based upon a book by Ritch Savin-Williams who is encouraged by trends among teenagers to experiment with a variety of sexual activities with both girls and boys.
A review of Savin-Williams book is available on NARTH's web site: "The New Gay Teenager." In his book, Savin-William appears to be an apologist for pederasty. He quotes Dr. Theodore Sandfort, a pro-pedophile professor, throughout his book without condemning the man's affirmation of adult/child sex. Sandfort has served on the editorial board of PAIDIKA, a Dutch pedophile journal. On page 135, Savin-Williams suggests that if sex between an older person and child isn't abusive or coercive, it would serve as "a positive impact on adolescent and adult sexual arousal..."
Susan Wiseman was fired, however.
Thanks for posting links to the FR related articles.
The Prussion model of public education, instituted after their humiliating defeat by Napoleon's forces in 1804, divided the kids into 3 castes.
TAG programs also need to sever the janissaries from family loyalties -- and assulting the family's God-given monopoloy on sexual expression serves that purpose.
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