NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Response to Juneau County District Attorney’s Threats to Prosecute Teachers who Comply with the Healthy Youth Act
For immediate release
March 8, 2010
NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Response to Juneau County District Attorney’s Threats to Prosecute Teachers who Comply with the Healthy Youth Act
Madison, Wisc. – NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Executive Director Lisa Subeck released the following statement in response to a memo issued by Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth to local school districts threatening to criminally prosecute teachers who comply with comprehensive sexuality education standards outlined in the Healthy Youth Act passed by the Wisconsin State Legislature.
“We are outraged that Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth is attempting to advance his anti-choice and anti-contraception political agenda by threatening prosecution of teachers who teach about both abstinence and contraception as outlined in the recently passed Healthy Youth Act. Threatening to prosecute our school teachers for complying with state law is beyond ridiculous, and Southworth’s claims about age-appropriate, comprehensive sex education are patently false.
In his memo, Southworth claims that teaching teens about proper use of contraception ‘encourages our children to engage in sexual behavior.’ Southworth’s claim ignores research that consistently finds comprehensive sex education does not contribute to earlier onset or increased frequency of sex among teens. In fact, this research indicates that giving youth information about both abstinence and contraception encourages them to delay sex and to use contraceptives more consistently.
The Healthy Youth Act was passed in response to skyrocketing teen pregnancy and STD rates in Wisconsin. In Juneau County, where the teen pregnancy and STD rates are above the state average, the standards set forth in the Healthy Youth Act are absolutely critical to stemming this public-health crisis.
NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin thanks Governor Doyle for his statement that teachers will not be prosecuted for complying with the Healthy Youth Act ‘no matter what the views of one particular district attorney are.’ The Healthy Youth Act is a commonsense measure to ensure Wisconsin’s youth have access to the comprehensive, age-appropriate, and fact based information they need to protect their health. No teacher should be threatened with criminal prosecution for following the law—and it’s time for politically motivated attacks like Southworth’s to end. “
Scott Southworth has a long history of anti-choice activism, and it is outrageous that he is abusing his position as District Attorney to advance his extreme anti-choice political agenda.”
For more information, contact Lisa Subeck at (608) 358-7090.
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