In 1996 Congress passed the Title V abstinence education program law.  This program (theoretically; in DC the funds were not actually used for abstinence education, for example) allotted funds to states that requested them for abstinence programs that had to follow these guidelines:

A. Has as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity. 

B. Teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school-age children. 

C. Teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and other associated health problems. 

D. Teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity. 

E. Teaches that sexual activity outside of the context, of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects. 

F. Teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child's parents and society. 

G. Teaches young people how to reject sexual advances, and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances. 

H. Teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity. 

Pretty common sense, right?  

Not according to almost all of the candidates for School Board in Jefferson County West Virginia running in the May 8, 2018 nonpartisan contest.  At the We the People Candidates Forum on April 19,2018 at the Clarion Inn, Harpers Ferry, WV Tom Poteet, Donna Joy, Aaron Hackett, Laurie Ogden (reelected) and Kathryn Skinner (reelected) all said it was not appropriate to teach school age children that abstinence from sex before marriage is the expected standard.  Only Athena Roper (newly elected) said that she was interested in that approach, but had not yet heard about it.  Scott Suddoth was not present at the forum.

So, my question to the current, reelected and newly elected School Board members is; why would you not want to teach young people that the expected standard for school age children is abstinence from sex before marriage?  I hope that the School Board members and others will comment below. 

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