Angry Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll yesterday said he is investigating the role of two Department of Education staffers and a consultant who hosted a ``prurient'' gay-sex discussion with students as young as 14.
``The workshops were of a prurient nature, and not educational, and what we heard suggests that the discussion contributed absolutely nothing to the students' understanding of how to avoid AIDS and HIV,'' Driscoll said yesterday.
Driscoll blasted the two department HIV/AIDS education staffers and a consultant for hosting a 30-student workshop, which was part of the annual conference of a nonprofit group contracted by the department to run the Safe Schools program for gay and lesbian youth.
He said a DOE policy change now prohibits sexuality education talks between staff and students.
The three workers ran a workshop called ``What They Didn't Tell You About Queer Sex and Sexuality in Health Class:Workshop for Youth Only, Ages 14-21'' at the March 25 Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLESEN) [sic] conference at Tufts University.
None of the workshop presenters could be reached for comment yesterday, but a spokesman for the program sponsor, the National Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, said the workshop was never intended to get as explicit as it did.
It was billed as a ``safe place'' for youths to get their questions about their sexuality answered, said spokeman Jim Anderson.
GLESEN has received funds for seven years from the department to run the Safe Schools program to promote tolerance on high school campuses. But Driscoll said the DOE did not sponsor the event, which was held on a Saturday.
Those who attended the conference said there were DOE materials at the conference and a letter from Driscoll as well as the opportunity for teachers to earn ``professional development points'' at the conference, entitled Teachout 2000.
Driscoll said his letter supported safe schools, and he was unaware of the content of the conference workshops. He did not address the issue of credits teachers may have received.
David LaFontaine, chairman of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, which funds the Safe Schools program through DOE, said GLESEN has focused on building Gay/Straight Alliance student groups and educating on issues of tolerance and safe sex.
I have never heard of Gay/Straight Alliance meetings containing these types of discussions,'' said LaFontaine. One of the reasons they are so successful is the groups meet on school grounds with the supervision of a staff adviser.''
During the controversial workshop, which was secretly recorded by Scott Whiteman, of the Parents' Rights Coalition of Massachusetts, the discussion traversed a range of sex acts in graphic detail.
Whiteman could not be reached for comment yesterday. The coalition plans to distribute the tape on the steps of the State House tomorrow at a news conference.
Portions of the tapes were broadcast on WTKK-FM (96.9) last week and generated a firestorm of controversy.
Driscoll said staff have reviewed sections of the tapes and an investigation into the matter is under way.
LaFontaine backed Driscoll's decision and defended GLESEN's work in the state's schools.
``This is their annual conference and it is privately funded and run independently of the Safe Schools program,'' LaFontaine said.
In April, the Board of Education adopted a gay and lesbian student safety measure originally approved by Gov. William F. Weld in 1993. That measure requires schools to extend civil rights protections to gay and lesbian students and assist in the formation of Gay/Straight Alliance student groups.
Conservative groups, including the Parents Rights Coalition, opposed the board's move, and LaFontaine believes the conference came under attack for that reason.
GLESEN has done outstanding work with the program for seven years,'' said LaFontaine. A tiny minority of opponents of the program are grasping at straws to discredit the program.''
Coalition president Brian Camenker disputed the department's assertion no state funds were spent at the conference.
This is bogus because state and federal monies are so blended together that no one knows where the money is coming from,'' Camenker told Massachusetts News, a conservative publication. The homosexual group that sponsored it receives money from both the federal and state government. ''
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
GLSEN was caught on tape teaching children and young adults ages 14-21 about fisting and other matters of a "prurient nature."
23 years ago, the Education Commissioner of Massachusetts had to denounce these kinds of things when they got caught. Now he would get cancelled for transphobia...
Boston Herald
Graphic gay sex workshop under fire
by Ed Hayward
Wednesday, May 17, 2000
Angry Education Commissioner David P. Driscoll yesterday said he is investigating the role of two Department of Education staffers and a consultant who hosted a ``prurient'' gay-sex discussion with students as young as 14.
``The workshops were of a prurient nature, and not educational, and what we heard suggests that the discussion contributed absolutely nothing to the students' understanding of how to avoid AIDS and HIV,'' Driscoll said yesterday.
Driscoll blasted the two department HIV/AIDS education staffers and a consultant for hosting a 30-student workshop, which was part of the annual conference of a nonprofit group contracted by the department to run the Safe Schools program for gay and lesbian youth.
He said a DOE policy change now prohibits sexuality education talks between staff and students.
The three workers ran a workshop called ``What They Didn't Tell You About Queer Sex and Sexuality in Health Class:Workshop for Youth Only, Ages 14-21'' at the March 25 Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLESEN) [sic] conference at Tufts University.
None of the workshop presenters could be reached for comment yesterday, but a spokesman for the program sponsor, the National Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network, said the workshop was never intended to get as explicit as it did.
It was billed as a ``safe place'' for youths to get their questions about their sexuality answered, said spokeman Jim Anderson.
GLESEN has received funds for seven years from the department to run the Safe Schools program to promote tolerance on high school campuses. But Driscoll said the DOE did not sponsor the event, which was held on a Saturday. Those who attended the conference said there were DOE materials at the conference and a letter from Driscoll as well as the opportunity for teachers to earn ``professional development points'' at the conference, entitled Teachout 2000.
Driscoll said his letter supported safe schools, and he was unaware of the content of the conference workshops. He did not address the issue of credits teachers may have received.
David LaFontaine, chairman of the Governor's Commission on Gay and Lesbian Youth, which funds the Safe Schools program through DOE, said GLESEN has focused on building Gay/Straight Alliance student groups and educating on issues of tolerance and safe sex.
I have never heard of Gay/Straight Alliance meetings containing these types of discussions,'' said LaFontaine.One of the reasons they are so successful is the groups meet on school grounds with the supervision of a staff adviser.'' During the controversial workshop, which was secretly recorded by Scott Whiteman, of the Parents' Rights Coalition of Massachusetts, the discussion traversed a range of sex acts in graphic detail.Whiteman could not be reached for comment yesterday. The coalition plans to distribute the tape on the steps of the State House tomorrow at a news conference.
Portions of the tapes were broadcast on WTKK-FM (96.9) last week and generated a firestorm of controversy.
Driscoll said staff have reviewed sections of the tapes and an investigation into the matter is under way.
LaFontaine backed Driscoll's decision and defended GLESEN's work in the state's schools.
``This is their annual conference and it is privately funded and run independently of the Safe Schools program,'' LaFontaine said.
In April, the Board of Education adopted a gay and lesbian student safety measure originally approved by Gov. William F. Weld in 1993. That measure requires schools to extend civil rights protections to gay and lesbian students and assist in the formation of Gay/Straight Alliance student groups. Conservative groups, including the Parents Rights Coalition, opposed the board's move, and LaFontaine believes the conference came under attack for that reason.
GLESEN has done outstanding work with the program for seven years,'' said LaFontaine.A tiny minority of opponents of the program are grasping at straws to discredit the program.''Coalition president Brian Camenker disputed the department's assertion no state funds were spent at the conference.
This is bogus because state and federal monies are so blended together that no one knows where the money is coming from,'' Camenker told Massachusetts News, a conservative publication.The homosexual group that sponsored it receives money from both the federal and state government. '' The Associated Press contributed to this report.https://archive.ph/ud0CD
https://web.archive.org/web/20080704113324/http://www.personproject.org/Alerts/States/Massachusetts/controversy.html
GLSEN was caught on tape teaching children and young adults ages 14-21 about fisting and other matters of a "prurient nature."
23 years ago, the Education Commissioner of Massachusetts had to denounce these kinds of things when they got caught. Now he would get cancelled for transphobia...