Students join polarizing sex ed discussion at school board meeting

By Ian Whitaker

Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015 | 10:15 p.m.

You could call it a civil war of sorts.

Students who clashed with parents at the Clark County School Board meeting Thursday over what schools should be teaching about sex said they had a right to know information like the diversity of sexual orientation and where to get birth control.

But in the results of a district survey released today, many parents said that crossed the line.

Tonight’s meeting was the latest in a back and forth that has lasted since November, when a district plan to change the existing abstinence-based standards surfaced and outraged parents.

The two camps sat on opposite sides of the school board meeting room, trading shots in a public comment session.

“CCSD is teaching the children of parents,” one parent said. “You’re teaching my child.”

“Please honor and respect what we choose to teach our children, said Wendy Mulcock, another parent.

Most parents said they felt it was their right to teach the values they wanted.

But CCSD students who came to the meeting said the issue should be about what students feel they need to know to make their own decisions.

“Change needs to happen,” said Caitlyn Caruso, coordinator for the Nevada Teen Health and Safety Coalition and current student at the Nevada Learning Academy. “Students should have the autonomy they need.”

Most of the disagreement comes down to the introduction of information regarding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender stereotypes into the current curriculum. In the survey, these were the only subjects that a majority of parents said shouldn’t be introduced.

But Caruso, 18, said they are important, especially to K-12 students right now.

“We no longer live in a world where teens wait to have sex,” said one student.

Trustees largely played the role of peacekeeper, highlighting the areas in which both sides agree, such as teaching high school students about rape and STDs.

Board Chairwoman Carolyn Edwards said she agreed with parents that sex education should be limited in elementary school, but she sided with the students who said standards should educate youth about sexual orientation and gender identity.

"I think ignoring that does a disservice to our youth,” she said.

The standards are still a long way from being put to a vote. The next step is a discussion by a Sex Education Advisory Committee on Feb. 19.

Both sides agreed that the survey, which gathered the opinions of around 4,600 parents, CCSD staff and community members, was flawed.

Parents said it didn’t give sufficient weight to the opinions of parents. Students said the survey failed to represent them at all.

Caruso said she took the survey but wasn’t able to indicate that she was a student. She had to check boxes saying “community member,” and “other.” She called on the board to conduct a separate survey of students.

Except the district can’t do that, Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky said.

Are you ready for the reason?

Because the current sex education standards prevent schools from asking students.