GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — The Gwinnett County School Board decided unanimously and without discussion at its meeting Thursday night to delay voting on the controversial, proposed sex education curriculum for grades K through 12-- a new curriculum that would cost $15 Million to implement in August if it is approved.
This comes after State Superintendent Richard Woods sent a letter to the Gwinnett County School Board and the superintendent – asking them to delay the vote.
The program the district is looking at switching to is called HealthSmart. It focuses on abstinence – while teaching students about consent, gender identity, and sexual orientation. The proposal also calls for children as young as 5th grade to receive lessons on sexual abuse and assault awareness.
“To me, it's just going to be overwhelming to them no matter what. But to start with fifth grade, to say, let's talk about gender identity. No, they don't have that mind developed enough to make decisions like that," Parent Brenda Stewart said.
Woods said in his letter that the content of the program goes beyond state standards. He added that the program would include lessons for kindergarten through 5th grade about sexual abuse and assault awareness, which is not required for that age.
Parents Katharine Geary and Laura Waters added that they believe the proposed curriculum would go into subject matter too mature for children.
"It includes things like explicit demonstrations of condom use, encouraging labels such as asexual if a child has chosen not to become sexually active,” Geary said. “And it teaches some confusing things about gender.”
Waters said she believes these types of conversations should be had at home.
"Parents having these conversations with their children. Not a stranger, not a teacher," Waters said.
Some parents said Wood's pushback is a red flag.
"In Gwinnett County, we really have been jumping up and down trying to get the attention of officials of the state. They're not listening. They're not hearing the parents were not being taken seriously," Stewart added.
However, parents Teresa and Tony Bullard, who are in favor of the proposal, said the current curriculum, which focuses on abstinence portrays people who are sexually active as inherently bad – with language that is problematic.
"I believe that the most effective thing to prevent teenage pregnancy and abortion is comprehensive sexual education," Tony said.
For now, the debate will continue. The earliest the board could vote on the plan would be at the April meeting.