Governor Sarah Sanders’ LEARNS Act, SB294 of 2023 has been signed into law. One of the many important parts of the new law is a program to combat child sexual abuse and assault and human trafficking. A key provision says:
(c) Before grade five (5), a public school teacher shall not provide classroom instruction on the following topics:
(1) Sexually explicit materials;
(2) Sexual reproduction;
(3) Sexual intercourse;
(4) Gender identity; or
(5) Sexual orientation.
This restriction is a big win for parents.
Still, we like many parents, would have felt more comfortable with the ban extending to some higher grades and with a complete ban on some subjects in all grades. While the ban applies to a child in the 5th grade, we are still concerned about a eleven-year-old child entering the 6th grade being confronted with sexually explicit material and transgender indoctrination from a fanatical teacher.
If the ban is not raised to higher grades, there is a law from 2021 that needs to be revisited. The law codified at A.C.A. 6-16-1006 says parents must be notified of materials and programs on sexual identity and orientation and the parent is to be given the opportunity to opt out their child from the instruction or program. It is a good law, but the problem is the law has no teeth and some schools have ignored the law. (See the a Conduit News article on the Fayetteville School Program ignoring the law)
At a minimum A.C.A. 6-16-1006 should be amended to include penalties against schools and staff who push transgender indoctrination in violation of the opt-out law. Perhaps, the opt-out law should also be changed to a more family friendly law by making it an opt-in law before a school could push transgender indoctrination.
Again, the LEARNS Act is a big victory for parents against the sexualization of children at school, but if you think more needs to be done let our Governor and your legislators know.
