Can a middle school warn parents about dealing with Internet porn "intruders" without making any mention of pornography?
Jordan School District apparently thinks so. It blocked the Albion Middle School Parent-Teacher Association from distributing to parents some materials it prepared that discuss Net porn danger and offered tips to help them keep their children away from online adult content.
The district refused to let the PTA pass out the materials at a recent parent-teacher conference, according to a published report, nor will it let teachers talk to students in class about how to avoid adult entertainment on the Net.
The PTA has said that it wants a pilot program, but the district is hesitating, according to the report, because porn in class, even if just in terms of a safety discussion, would upset some parents. District regional director Moya Kessig was quoted as saying state guidelines about sex education must be followed, and what can be said in classrooms "is pretty limited."
"We would like to teach responsible Internet use and how to avoid getting into pitfalls," Albion PTA Internet safety chair Jan Garbett told reporters. "Pornographers know how to trick people into coming onto their sites."
