Conservative Christians hijack sex ed curriculum mtg.

[louisa05]

In Omaha yesterday, the Omaha Public Schools board held a meeting to give students and parents info about proposed changes to the district's comprehensive sex ed curriculum. 

Some area churches, apparently spurred on by a group calling itself the "founders club" bussed in 100s of right wing conservative Christians who hijacked the meeting. They were screaming, yelling, shoving, drowning out the speakers with noise, and there was at least one incident of a woman slapping a teenage girl. 

The 15 year old daughter of a former student of mine was screamed at and shoved by a woman who told her she was going to burn in hell. It was her friend who was slapped when she was trying to speak. 

Article from the Omaha World Herald: http://www.livewellnebraska.com/health/ops-ponders-next-step-after-rowdy-sex-ed-curriculum-meeting/article_a5173296-7799-11e5-9454-b3e1e1f8e8ee.html

Of course, the news stories are not telling the whole story. One reporter, however, has asked on social media for people to contact her about their experiences at this meeting. My student is encouraging her daughter and the friends who were with her to contact her. 

 

 

[DarkAnts]

I did not receive any real sex education in the school growing up. In Utah, they do not even describe intercourse in the classroom.

[IreneIssh]

Wow. That was sad to read. Those were some pretty tame changes from my perspective too. That curriculum could probably save a lot of kids a lot of pain. Omaha is an interesting town. I have some family there...I'm not sure how they would feel about this. They honestly might have been on the opposing side. I can't believe that the conversation resulted in slapping. 

[defraudingjezebel]

I hope the idiot who slapped a child was charged with assault. It sounds like the meeting was a free-for-all. I don't understand how ultra conservative christians/fundamentalists can't see how Taliban-esque their attitudes toward sex are! 

[louisa05]

I hope the idiot who slapped a child was charged with assault. It sounds like the meeting was a free-for-all. I don't understand how ultra conservative christians/fundamentalists can't see how Taliban-esque their attitudes toward sex are! 

From what I'm gleaning via social media, the only person approached by police was a woman who was breastfeeding her baby. The fundie nutcases alerted security that she was engaging in "indecent exposure". 

For the record, this was an information session, not a public forum. No one was speaking formally. The girl who was slapped was attempting to respond rationally to the woman who was screaming at the group of teens that they were all going to hell. 

Sadly, I can make an educated guess as to which Omaha churches were involved in this and I wouldn't be surprised if a few people I worked with way back at Christian school were involved, too. 

[sparkles]

The really sad thing is that the moderate, well-reasoned voices are systematically being drowned out by the fanatics, who wouldn't know reason or moderation if it ran over them. We can't give up but it does get harder and harder. 

[salex]

Locally, one school board had to finally limit discussion to people who lived within the school district, with preference to parents of students at the school first, then others from within the district, when an outside group started complaining about  what books should be part of the English Curriculum. (Why have anything other than the bible, and certainly not xyz evil books!)  Eventually, it became clear that the parents within the district with students in the school were not all that upset about the books offered in the HS classes, and the group eventually went away.  

  

[louisa05]

Here is an account of the meeting someone put up as a public post on Facebook: 

[defraudingjezebel]

Here is an account of the meeting someone put up as a public post on Facebook: 

Thanks for posting this. I read the entire post and am absolutely appalled at the agitators' behavior towards the high school students. They are so hateful and physically aggressive that I don't see how they got away without being arrested or at the very least, without the cops being called. You shouldn't be allowed to physically and verbally accost a young person, then call your adult son over to subtly threaten violence (i.e. "If you don't shut up he will make you shut up" type of posturing).

[quiversR4hunting]

Here is an account of the meeting someone put up as a public post on Facebook: 

thanks for positing this, like defraudingjezebel, I read the entire post. I can't believe these people call themselves Christians. And it sounds like a lot of them didn't have kids in the school- if that is true, why the hell do they care what the "evil" public schools teach the "heathen" public school kids?

I hope next time they have the meeting they have to have proof of residency before entering the meeting unless they have media pass that is requested and granted prior to the meeting.

[Peas n carrots]

Nebraska has been overrun by the wing nuts. While always a conservative place the right wing nuttery is a recent trend within the past 25 years.

I only hope the level headed in the community will rally around the students.

[louisa05]

Nebraska has been overrun by the wing nuts. While always a conservative place the right wing nuttery is a recent trend within the past 25 years.

 

I only hope the level headed in the community will rally around the students.

Considering that the Omaha Metro area is the only Congressional District to have a Democrat representing them (Brad Ashford) and that the parent surveys done as this curricular overhaul has been in progress have had a majority supporting both CSE and the changes, I think that moderate and calmer heads will prevail in this matter. 

The wingnuts are mostly in the more rural areas, not in Lincoln or Omaha. 

[Peas n carrots]

Sounds like a bunch of paranoid nutters this Founders group.

nffv.net

I'll have to ask my old man about this to see what he has heard. I can imagine his eyeballs are rolling out of his head.

This group claims to be the silent majority...ummm, not really. More and more Millenials - even in conservative states - have school aged children. Millenials care far less than their parents about gays getting married, transgendered recognition etc. it's changing and they are angry their bigotry is being called out and ridiculed.

I have a friend who is a de facto community organizer in Omaha who is well connected in the QUILTBAG community and I'll be seeing her this weekend - I'll ask her what counter efforts are being made against this Founders group.

[louisa05]

The school board is undeterred. Link: 

http://www.livewellnebraska.com/health/ops-board-undeterred-in-effort-to-update-sex-education-curriculum/article_cb363121-2241-58c7-a083-ad8122b605d5.html

 

[prayawaythefundie]

[...]

The 15 year old daughter of a former student of mine was screamed at and shoved by a woman who told her she was going to burn in hell. It was her friend who was slapped when she was trying to speak. 

[...]

 

 

Attacking teens, how godly. Is that the meek spirit showing?

[louisa05]

[...]

The 15 year old daughter of a former student of mine was screamed at and shoved by a woman who told her she was going to burn in hell. It was her friend who was slapped when she was trying to speak. 

[...]

 

 

Attacking teens, how godly. Is that the meek spirit showing?

Exactly. The girl's mother was my student at Christian school...told her that it is not out of the realm of possibility that one or two of the former teachers at her alma mater were involved and not on the pro side. She agreed. We also agreed that in all the hundreds of testimonies from students and guests that we sat through at the Christian school, none of them began with "so I was at a public event and a woman started screaming at me and shoving me and telling me I'm going to hell...". For people so hellbent on evangelizing everyone they meet, they certainly go about it the wrong way. 

This student is one of many who give me hope that escape is not out of the realm of possibility for most kids in fundie families. 

[sawasdee]

This sounds more like the Taliban than the country that was supposedly founded on freedom of worship and separation of religion and state.....or is the freedom only for those that agree with their very narrow views,and the separation only to cut out any idea that is not in their canon?

[louisa05]

This sounds more like the Taliban than the country that was supposedly founded on freedom of worship and separation of religion and state.....or is the freedom only for those that agree with their very narrow views,and the separation only to cut out any idea that is not in their canon?

I think the latter. 

Judging by the church mentioned specifically in the Facebook post I linked above, my educated guess is that the majority of the vocal opposition that showed up at this meeting are people who homeschool or send their kids to private Christian schools (there are at least four in the Metro area) and this matter does not even concern them personally. 

I am heartened by today's article that the school board is planning to base decisions on the surveys they have taken (in which the majority of parents in the district are in favor of comprehensive sex education), the studies they are reviewing and additional input from actual parents in the district. They did realize that a vocal minority hijacked this event. The main editorial in the Omaha World Herald today also calls for the voices of the majority to be heard through better organized means. 

[bucket]

[...]

The 15 year old daughter of a former student of mine was screamed at and shoved by a woman who told her she was going to burn in hell. It was her friend who was slapped when she was trying to speak. 

[...]

 

 

Attacking teens, how godly. Is that the meek spirit showing?

Exactly. The girl's mother was my student at Christian school...told her that it is not out of the realm of possibility that one or two of the former teachers at her alma mater were involved and not on the pro side. She agreed. We also agreed that in all the hundreds of testimonies from students and guests that we sat through at the Christian school, none of them began with "so I was at a public event and a woman started screaming at me and shoving me and telling me I'm going to hell...". For people so hellbent on evangelizing everyone they meet, they certainly go about it the wrong way. 

This student is one of many who give me hope that escape is not out of the realm of possibility for most kids in fundie families. 

yeah, that was my first thought.  How is this winning over any supporters??

[Peas n carrots]

Nebraska has been overrun by the wing nuts. While always a conservative place the right wing nuttery is a recent trend within the past 25 years.

 

I only hope the level headed in the community will rally around the students.

Considering that the Omaha Metro area is the only Congressional District to have a Democrat representing them (Brad Ashford) and that the parent surveys done as this curricular overhaul has been in progress have had a majority supporting both CSE and the changes, I think that moderate and calmer heads will prevail in this matter. 

The wingnuts are mostly in the more rural areas, not in Lincoln or Omaha. 

...the rural voice seems to often prevail

I know there isn't a lot of love for Ernie Chambers in many corners of the state but he is mostly to thank that the state hasn't become the next Alabama in political terms.

Also I'm heartened to hear OPS isn't budging! I have 2 siblings that work for Lincoln Public Schools and there was a similar outcry recently on training teachers how to treat children who say they are transgendered in a sensitive manner. Most teachers supported the training but once again a few wingnuts caused a big ruckus.

[sockinshoe]

This kind of insanity happens everywhere when it comes to sex ed. In Ontario, Canada, parents are kicking up a big ugly brouhaha over the new sex ed curriculum. The curriculum is highly comprehensive and progressive, but a majority of people see the benefits. It's always a vocal minority that leads us to waste time (and money) going back and forth over stuff that's pretty common sense. 

[louisa05]

Nebraska has been overrun by the wing nuts. While always a conservative place the right wing nuttery is a recent trend within the past 25 years.

 

I only hope the level headed in the community will rally around the students.

 

Considering that the Omaha Metro area is the only Congressional District to have a Democrat representing them (Brad Ashford) and that the parent surveys done as this curricular overhaul has been in progress have had a majority supporting both CSE and the changes, I think that moderate and calmer heads will prevail in this matter. 

The wingnuts are mostly in the more rural areas, not in Lincoln or Omaha. 

 

 

...the rural voice seems to often prevail

 

I know there isn't a lot of love for Ernie Chambers in many corners of the state but he is mostly to thank that the state hasn't become the next Alabama in political terms.

 

Also I'm heartened to hear OPS isn't budging! I have 2 siblings that work for Lincoln Public Schools and there was a similar outcry recently on training teachers how to treat children who say they are transgendered in a sensitive manner. Most teachers supported the training but once again a few wingnuts caused a big ruckus.

Chambers can't be a majority in the legislature (he was, in fact, not even there for two years due to term limits). Cool and moderate heads often prevail in our politics. Witness the repeal of the death penalty. Chambers has one vote out of 49; he didn't accomplish that alone. And the group campaigning for the anti-death penalty side for the vote coming next year has top GOP strategists and plenty of money thanks to state Republicans seeing that the death penalty simply does not work and is not worth the state's money. 

Ricketts did not get a single one of his pet bills through his first legislative session and had two major vetoes overridden by his own party. Yes, this is a majority Republican state, but recent politics have not been that far right. 

Personally, I get tired of people who left the state piling on instead of being here to help the moderate and liberal voices prevail.