Coalition Letter Opposing Abstinence-only Education Programs

Finance Committee
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator:

The undersigned organizations represent millions of American educators, administrators, pupil services personnel and other education employees, parents, and other education advocates concerned about the censorship of classroom teaching reflected in the current restrictive definition of abstinence education. As Congress reauthorizes the abstinence education program, we urge you to allow for greater flexibility in spending federal abstinence education funds.

The vast majority of parents want their children to receive comprehensive sex education which includes, but is not limited to, information about abstinence. Yet, current law requires that students receive only information consistent with the abstinence-until-marriage message, rather than a comprehensive review of the facts about contraception and safe sex practices. As a result, material on these forbidden topics has been cut out of textbooks and censored in student press. In some areas, teachers have been prevented from answering student questions, and have been disciplined or threatened with lawsuits for discussing prohibited topics. Public schools must be permitted to address the educational needs of all students, and should not be restrained by such restrictions on free speech.

The abstinence-only policy also violates the principle of church-state separation and the prohibition against introduction of any sectarian practices into the public school system. Abstinence-only education is promoted by religious groups and individuals in an attempt to impose their own beliefs on all public school students.

We believe it is critical that states be afforded flexibility to spend funds on a variety of programs. Such flexibility would allow states to fund the types of programs currently mandated, but would also allow states to choose a different approach.

Current law censors what can be presented in the classroom and effectively gags educators by substituting the judgment of the federal government for local communities. We urge Congress to adopt a more flexible approach as you reauthorize this program.

Thank you for consideration of our views on this important issue.

Sincerely,