Posted on 09/06/2002 4:38:31 AM PDT by kattracks
CNSNews.com) - Two California parental-rights groups say schools that address homosexuality in their curriculum or in after-school programs face an increasing risk of being sued by parents.
The Pro-Family Law Center (PFLC) and the United States Justice Foundation released a report Wednesday that will be distributed to parents, school districts and the state education department. The 15-page document cites court decisions, which the groups claim could be used in lawsuits to challenge schools that seek to "normalize homosexuality."
"We're in the early stages of a national campaign to homosexualize American schools," PFLC attorney Scott Lively said. "Ten years ago this was not happening. We have a generation of school kids who are the official guinea pigs in a social experiment that we believe is going to have dramatically harmful effects."
Lively, who called the report "groundbreaking," said it gives parents an avenue to challenge schools. Once parents have the document in their hands, he wants them to distribute it to teachers and administrators.
The report highlights what it claims are liabilities associated with incorporating homosexuality into a student's education. It encourages schools to abandon any discussion of homosexuality.
Lively said lawsuits could arise from any number of factors, but overlooking parental concern is chief among the risks that schools take.
"Parental rights are some of the most fundamental of all rights recognized under the Constitution," he said. "Using the general principles of law and looking at the facts as we see them unfold, it's very easy to predict what's happening here. We are going to see some of these things being decided over the next few years."
But requiring parental permission for all discussions about sexuality, as the report suggests, carries parents' rights too far, especially when it involves after-school programs, said Wayne Besen, spokesman for the Human Rights Campaign, a homosexual advocacy organization.
"Parents don't have the right to stop young men and women from receiving the help they need," Besen said. "The parents themselves are often the threat. These [homosexual student] groups are there to help vulnerable people who are subject to humiliation and harassment get the services they need."
The Human Rights Campaign was mentioned in the report as an organization that promotes such practices in schools along with the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG).
Officials at GLSEN declined to comment on the report and calls to PFLAG were not returned.
Besen said the report is the latest attempt by anti-homosexual groups to advance their political agenda. Besides, he said schools are not doing nearly enough to protect students from classmates who harass them.
"[Schools] should have a zero-tolerance policy," he said. "Any student who gets caught harassing a gay or lesbian student should be punished appropriately. [Schools] need to teach people they are entitled to their beliefs, but they should be tolerant to all minorities, including gay and lesbian students."
Lively countered Besen's arguments by claiming homosexuals exaggerate concerns about school safety to advance their own political cause.
"There is no problem with school safety," Lively said. "Schools have the authority to stop harassment by students, but you don't solve that problem by dividing them up into groups."
He suggested the best way to address the liability problems would be for schools to stop addressing homosexuality in the classroom and in after-school activities and instead to concentrate on the more traditional subjects of reading, writing and arithmetic.
E-mail a news tip to Robert B. Bluey.
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Novato, CA - The Pacific Justice Institute recently filed a lawsuit, on behalf of parents, against the Novato Unified School District for authorizing pro-homosexual presentations without any prior notice or consent. The presentations, entitled "Cootie Shots", exposed elementary school children, as young as 7-years-old, with skits containing gay and lesbian overtures. The presentations were followed by question and answer sessions about what constitutes "normal" families and acceptance of those who choose the homosexual lifestyle. After the assemblies took place, some of the concerned parents went to the schools to inquire why the school district had not complied with their explicit opt out request from such presentations. It was reported by school staff members that many of the forms were "missing". Such presentations are anticipated by many to become commonplace in California public schools following recent state legislation AB537, which recommends overt pro-homosexual and pro-transsexual "tolerance" instruction. "This lawsuit is the first in a major litigation campaign to combat school districts who attempt to undermine the statutory and constitutional rights of parents through the execution of AB537 recommendations," said Brad Dacus, president of the Pacific Justice Institute. "We intend to aggressively sue every school district that similarly violates the rights of parents." The Pacific Justice Institute affiliate attorney James R. Courshon is serving as lead counsel for the parents. The Pacific Justice Institute is a non-profit 501(c)(3) legal defense organization specializing in the defense of religious freedom, parental rights, and other civil liberties. P.O. Box 4366, Citrus Heights, CA 95611 |
What next, reparations?
"We're in the early stages of a national campaign to homosexualize American schools," PFLC attorney Scott Lively said.Early stages?
Where have you been sleepingRumplestilskinMr. Lively?
Indeed. See GrandMoM's thread
Assemblyman MOUNTJOY opposes promotion of homosexuality in public schools
for other articles about the homosexual agenda in the public schools.
Good news bump.
NEA and GLSEN Seek to Stifle Free Speech
You are on the right track.
Good luck in your campaign to educate parents as well as the adults. Makes one wonder about home schooling or private schools, doesn't it?
To: ArGeeLiberalism = we would like you to be a useful idiot
Political Correctness = we will force you to be a useful idiot
18 posted on 9/6/02 7:10 AM Pacific by Dakmar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]Public Education = Look at all the useful idiots we've made.
Shalom.
19 posted on 9/6/02 7:19 AM Pacific by ArGee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]
Precisely.
Shalom.
"Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children." - ***Universal Declaration of Human Rights***, Article 26
Up is down...
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