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Conservative Groups Protest Students’ Ability to Ask ‘Spontaneous Questions’ About Sex in Utah

Members were concerned with the possibility that educators would get into “grossly irresponsible” material, straying away from discussions on abstinence.

Several conservative groups stormed a Utah Board of Education meeting Thursday to protest a state law that allows teachers to answer “spontaneous questions” about sex. Several speakers at the meeting were concerned with the possibility of conversations becoming “potentially graphic,” and for educators to get into “grossly irresponsible” material and move away from discussions on abstinence. The Salt Lake Tribune reports conservative groups Utah Eagle Forum and Pro-Life Utah organized the demonstration, with group members signing up for nearly every slot during the public comment period. Utah Eagle Forum President Gayle Ruzicka said she decided to speak out against the law after she discovered a teacher’s guide that is meant to help educators navigate students’ questions about sex. About 30 members showed up to the meeting Thursday, the Tribune reports. The protest comes just a few months after the school board updated its guidelines for the first time in 20 years for what Utah students should learn about sex.