Maine School District Policy to Distribute Prescription Contraceptives to Students “Troubling”

School District Will Face Legal Challenge if Policy Isn't Removed

WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2007—A Maine School District has gone too far and usurped parental rights, says the nation's top conservative public interest law firm.  The American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ)

today demanded that a Maine school district abandon its policy to distribute prescription contraceptives to students as young as 11 or face legal action to have the policy removed. The ACLJ sent a letter to the Portland, ME School Committee regarding a new policy in place at King Middle School. The policy clears the way for the school to administer prescription contraceptives-including birth control pills and patches-to students between the ages of 11 and 15 without the consent of parents.

"This policy is simply unacceptable and must be removed without delay," said Jay Sekulow, chief counsel of the ACLJ, which has heard from Maine parents and residents outraged by the decision. "This is a very troubling policy that clearly usurps parental rights and violates state law. The school district has a window of opportunity to correct this problematic policy. If that does not happen, the ACLJ will not hesitate to bring a lawsuit on behalf of concerned parents to get this policy removed."

Sekulow says the ACLJ will have attorneys present when the Portland School Committee is scheduled to meet this Wednesday to reconsider the policy.

In its letter to the Portland School Committee (posted online) the ACLJ contends that, in addition to promoting a flawed policy that provides prescription contraceptives to young students without the knowledge of parents, the Committee is violating Maine law by not reporting all illegal sexual activity involving children 13 years old or younger.

The ACLJ letter states: "The failure of health center personnel to report all instances of sexual activity involving young children endangers the safety of those children and must be corrected.  Moreover, the Committee's decision to offer prescription birth control to children as young as 11 years old tramples upon parental rights and has the effect of promoting illegal sexual activity."

Calling the policy "deeply troubling," the ACLJ contends the Committee "is not only fostering criminal activity and child abuse, but is usurping parental authority and subjecting children to all kinds of health risks as well." The ACLJ urges the Committee "to put an end to this illegal activity, or the ACLJ will assist parents in bringing legal action against the Committee."

The ACLJ told the Committee it is sending the letter on behalf of Portland parents who have contacted the organization and on behalf of thousands of ACLJ members in Maine and throughout the country who have expressed their "outrage and disgust over the Committee's usurpation of parental responsibility to protect the health and morality of their children."

The ACLJ specializes in constitutional law and, through its global affiliates, works to protect religious freedom and liberty in more than 36 countries worldwide. The ACLJ is headquartered in Washington, and is online at www.aclj.org. The ACLJ newsroom can be accessed at www.DeMossNewsPond.com/ACLJ. 

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