Abstinence program offends 'nontraditional families'

Board members halted an abstinence-based sex-ed program at a public middle school because "nontraditional families" might be offended by its emphasis on marriage.

The Lansing, N.Y., Board of Education also was concerned that the program's Christian affiliation would be inappropriate for a public school, the Ithaca Journal reported.

TRENDING: Is this what you voted for, America?

The cancellation of "I'm Worth Waiting For," for at least this semester, surprised the program's presenter Ithaca Pregnancy Center, which is sponsored by more than two dozen area churches.

The center's executive director, Rhonda Mapes, said it felt like parents were on a "war path" against the program, the Journal reported. But she insists it contains no proselytizing, instead focusing on guidelines for making safe and healthy decisions.

The program is conducted in as many as 10 public schools a semester, normally without incident, Mapes told the Ithaca paper.

The board decided Dec. 16 to create a health advisory committee comprised of staff and parents to handle the issue.

The debate comes as the White House earmarks $170 million in federal funding for abstinence-based programs in the next year.

The Ithaca Pregnancy Center uses humorous skits to warn students of the health risks of sexual activity. If students ask about condoms, they are told contraceptives are not 100 percent effective.

"The goal is to see abstinence as a good and attainable choice," Mapes told the Journal.

But many parents are upset with the program's basic message of waiting for marriage, and the mother of one student complained abstinence should be taught as a health choice, not a moral choice.