Maryland Board of Education: State's right supersedes parent's rights

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Md. State Board Approves County's Sex-Ed Curriculum

By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, July 4, 2007; B06



The Maryland State Board of Education has ruled in favor of a sex-education curriculum adopted last month for use in Montgomery middle and high schools, finding nothing illegal in the new lessons on sexual orientation and condom use, school officials said yesterday.

In a 17-page June 27 opinion, the state panel declined to "second guess the appropriateness" of the curriculum approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education. Instead, the state panel said it could reverse the county's action only if it violated the law. And after reviewing more than a dozen claims alleged by curriculum opponents, the state board found no violation.

It was the strongest victory to date for Montgomery educators in a pitched legal battle over the county's sex-education curriculum, which has been under revision for five years in an effort to introduce sexual orientation as a topic for discussion in health classes.

"The State Board rejected each and every legal challenge brought by the opponents and determined that there was no valid reason to overturn our decision," said Nancy Navarro (Northeastern County), the county school board president, in a statement. She voiced hope that litigation would "finally come to an end."

A spokeswoman for the community group Citizens for a Responsible Curriculum, which led a consortium of opposition groups, said it was too soon to say whether it might take the matter to federal court. "There are many parents here in Montgomery County who are opposed to the curriculum," Michelle Turner said. She also said a growing number of parents outside the county are expressing concern with the lessons, which could be adopted in other Maryland counties.

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