Christian nonprofit teaching sex ed

A local Christian nonprofit started providing sexual education at Moscow High School through guest lectures this week.

WISH Medical was approved to provide a guest speaker at the high school May 16-24. WISH Medical is part of the nonprofit Palouse Care Network, which describes itself in its volunteer forms as an “outreach ministry of Jesus Christ.”

Moscow School District Superintendent Shawn Tiegs said the curriculum for the lectures, which were opt-in and required parental permission, was vetted prior to approval by a group of administrators, teachers and parents, and that the curriculum does not contain religious materials.

“It is 100% not religious in nature,” he said. “I feel very confident saying that as a superintendent. The presentation itself, it’s fact-based. It has the same focus that the state of Idaho content standards have for sexual education.”

Idaho standards for sexual education require a focus, among other things, on abstinence, which the unit provides.

WISH Medical is an anti-abortion medical clinic that provides services including sexually transmitted infections testing, pregnancy testing, ultrasound and abortion pill reversal.

But Palouse Care Network chief executive officer Amy McNelly said the speaker also provides medically accurate information about things like condom use.

“We address that if students choose to not be abstinent, kind of what risks there are, and what safer practices of sex are,” she said. “The (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends that if you are choosing to engage in sexual activity that a condom will reduce risk of contracting STDs.”

McNelly said the organization focuses on sharing medical information from sources such as the CDC, the Cleveland Clinic, the Mayo Clinic

and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The guest lectures cover units on personal values, including how students’ values are impacted by engaging in sex outside of marriage; definitions of sexual experiences; setting boundaries; healthy relationships; sexually transmitted diseases; and male and female anatomy.

The lectures also cover the “CARE plan” to talk to students about creating and reinforcing boundaries, McNelly said. CARE stands for communicating boundaries, avoiding dangerous situations, reinforcing boundaries and exiting a situation.

McNelly said although individuals may have personal religious convictions that shape their beliefs, the organization is careful not to promote specific religious beliefs.

“That is certainly something that we abide by and make really clear to schools,” she said.

Jade Stellmon said she opted in for her 14-year-old son Hamilton Stellmon, despite some reservations, because she also makes sure to educate her children at home.

She said she was encouraged to see the curriculum wasn’t religious, but still had questions about why the organization was selected when there are other qualified professionals in the area.

“There’s an advanced practice nurse employed by the school district, who I think could be a great individual who could be part of this discussion.” she said. “There’s pediatricians and family medicine doctors and obstetricians who are really involved in our community. Our family works in health care, and we don’t know who any of these providers are.”

Tiegs, who is wrapping up his first year as Moscow superintendent, said he had heard of the high school having guest speakers from public health before his arrival, but was unsure if any would be available at this point.

Hamilton Stellmon attended the first talk with his class Friday. He said the group talked about, among other things, some of the history of sex in different generations.

The lecturer also encouraged monogamous, long-term relationships such as marriage, he said, and focused on how sex can affect emotional bonds and make it more difficult when a couple break up, as well as put people at risk for STIs, he said.

Jade Stellmon said she had a preference for sex ed more heavily focused on clinical facts and safety.

“I think there is absolutely an emotional component to sex that should be openly discussed,” she said. “But the relationship aspect, to me, is not really a health component. I don’t know that it’s part of the school’s responsibility to teach what a goal is for their sexual relationships.”

Her daughter, 16-year-old Tk Sellmon, had sex ed through her health class two years ago and didn’t have any guest speakers. Tk Sellmon noted that, at the time, the class she took emphasized many of the same goals of monogamy and long-term partnership.

Curriculum director Carrie Brooks said the school reached out to WISH Medical about guest speaking after the current teacher for the health class heard about it from another area teacher.

The speaker, Sara Jennings, is the designated educator at Palouse Care Network. McNelly said the organization provided similar guest talks with about seven other area schools, mostly in Idaho, but left it to the individual schools to disclose.

“We have an education presentation that we do in a number of local public schools, and have been in several of those schools for over 15 years,” she said. “It ranges from a four- to six-day presentation and those classes.”

The majority of the sex ed portion of the class will be covered by the guest speaker, Brooks said, though the teacher will be present and overseeing the lecture.

Tiegs said parents were also provided the opportunity to review content prior to the lectures.

“We give an opportunity to opt out,” he said. “We allow for parental review of the content in the presentation, and certainly just encourage the families and parents to be a part of it.”

McNelly said she welcomes any questions from parents who want to learn more about what’s being presented in the classroom.

Sun may be contacted at rsun@lmtribune.com or on Twitter at @Rachel_M_Sun. This report is made in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.