A new state house bill would require parents to give explicit consent for their child to learn about human sexuality.
Idaho parents currently need to write a letter to the school board to request for their child not to receive Sex Ed. House Rep. Barbara Ehardt (R-Idaho Falls), who introduced the new bill to the House Education Committee Friday, said that wasn’t enough.
“The opt-out that most districts currently have leaves the responsibility with the student, meaning to make sure they take whatever information home and also bring it back,” she said.
Under this new measure, parents would have to opt in with written permission prior to students receiving education relating to human sexuality.
“Now, the written permission really is that affirmation, that affirmative: Yes,” Ehardt said, adding the current opting-out system did not work.
“In Idaho, we're different, and we like being different. And we have a lot of people here who simply do not want their kids exposed to this.”
The language of the text caused some confusion at the introductory meeting, with Ehardt's colleagues worrying it would require classes outside of Sex Ed to also ask for consent.
Rep. Monica Church (D-Boise) pushed back, worried the bill could affect a broad scope of subjects, like sexual violence during the Holocaust or Michelangelo’s nude sculptures.
“I'm very concerned that to get consent for all of the things mentioned in this bill would make it very difficult to teach about David, to teach about very important Supreme Court cases,” she said.
Schools would have 30 days to retroactively correct a permission error, before parents could seek damages. The bill was moved forward and will be further debated in committee.
