Maine School District to Get Lawsuit Over Giving Birth Control to Young Girls 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 12, 2007
Portland, ME (LifeNews.com) — A leading pro-life law firm tells LifeNews.com it is is preparing to file a lawsuit to remove what it calls a “troubling policy” in one Maine school district. Schools officials in the Portland school district distribute prescription contraceptives to students as young as 11 without parental knowledge or consent and the American Center for Law and Justice says it will file suit.
The ACLJ says the Portland School Committee’s decision not to reconsider this policy means the ACLJ will now examine all legal options available and prepare to file a lawsuit challenging the policy.
The district not only provides prescription contraceptives to young students without the knowledge or consent of parents, but also violates Maine law by not reporting all illegal sexual activity involving children 13 years old or younger, the pro-life law firm says.
“This is an issue where the rights of parents must be protected,” said Jay Sekulow, the pro-life law firm‘s chief counsel. “This is not only bad public policy but a violation of state law that simply cannot be ignored.”
Sekulow added: “There is tremendous outrage and disgust over the Committee’s usurpation of parental responsibility to protect the health and morality of their children.”
He said his group has heard from more than 40,000 Americans nationwide — including hundreds of Maine residents — “understand that this policy is not only flawed but dangerous.”
“Unless school officials make an 11th hour concession, we will move forward and file a lawsuit within a matter of weeks to remove this policy,” Sekulow promised.
The ACLJ sent a letter to the Portland School Committee earlier in the week calling the policy “deeply troubling” and warning that legal action would ensue unless school officials changed the policy.
“The failure of health center personnel to report all instances of sexual activity involving young children endangers the safety of those children and must be corrected,” it said. “Moreover, the Committee’s decision to offer prescription birth control to children as young as 11 years old tramples upon parental rights and has the effect of promoting illegal sexual activity.”
The ACLJ contends the Committee “is not only fostering criminal activity and child abuse, but is usurping parental authority and subjecting children to all kinds of health risks as well.”
It urged the Committee “to put an end to this illegal activity, or the ACLJ will assist parents in bringing legal action against the Committee.”
