Representing North Carolina’s Ninth District                                                                        

HOUSE SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE 9TH CIRCUIT SCOLDING THEM FOR DENYING PARENTS NOTIFICATION RIGHTS INVOLVING SEXUAL QUESTIONS ASKED OF THEIR ELEMENTARY CHILDREN

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, US Representative Sue Myrick (NC-9) voted for H.Res. 547.  This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit deplorably infringed on parental rights in the case Fields v. Palmdale School District.

 The Court’s decision in this case held “that there is no free-standing fundamental right of parents to control the upbringing of their children by introducing them to matters of and relating to sex in accordance with their personal and religious values and beliefs.” 

 “The 9th Circuit is at it again.  They are trying to strip parents of their rights to raise their children the way they see fit.  This resolution is a strong message to them that we have our eyes on them and they are not going to get away with a decision like this,” said Rep. Myrick.  “The schools job is to educate children, not to raise the children.  This was an outrageous decision and I hope the Supreme Court hears this case and overturns the ruling.”

 The decision also said “that parents have no due process or privacy right to override the determinations of public schools as to the information to which their children will be exposed while enrolled as students.”

 Parents of first, third, and fifth grade students at Mesquite Elementary School (Palmdale, California) received a letter from the school requesting consent for their children to fill out a survey. The letter did not give complete information on what the survey involved.  The information left out of the letter to parents included some questions that involved sexual topics. Questions of this nature included: “Thinking about sex when I don’t want to,” “Touching my private parts too much,” and “Having sex feelings in my body.” Only after the survey was completed did parents get an idea of the questions asked when their children came home and told them.

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