School boards need additional guidance about what not to include in their policies. I support parental notification about sexually explicit content. However, some school boards’ overly broad interpretations of the law are resulting in policies that would censor or ban certain materials, rather than notify parents. This removes parental choice and creates disparities in access to instructional materials across localities.
Furthermore, some boards do not understand the definition of sexually explicit and have created their own expanded definitions that would censor content in the family life curriculum and anatomy courses, as well as ban discussions of gender and sexual orientation. Sexual and anti-LGBTQ+ harassment are rampant in schools, and staff need to be able to have discussions about certain topics in order to promote an environment free from harassment and discrimination.