Overhear students talking about having sex? Report them to the government, teachers told
An Oregon school district is requiring its teachers to report students to state officials whenever they suspect they might be having sex, reported KATU.
The Salem-Keizer school district informed their staff that if any of them heard about students having sex, they were obligated to report it or face possible charges.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 41 percent of high school students reported having sex in 2015, and the average age for someone to have sex for the first time is 17. But according to Oregon law, people under the age of 18 are not capable of making informed decisions about having sex, and therefore sex involving minors – including sex between consenting teens – is considered sexual abuse in Oregon.
Teachers, as well as many other state officials in Oregon and across the United States, are required by law to report suspicions of abuse and neglect.
The district held a training in October that sought to clarify when teachers would be required to report any suspicions to authorities. For example, if a 15-year-old girl told a teacher she was sexually active and wanted to talk about birth control, the teacher would be required to report her, reported the Statesman Journal.
Another example showed that teachers are also required to report their own child if they suspect or learn he or she is having sex, the paper reported.
Lillian Govus, a spokeswoman for Salem-Keizer, told Newsweek the policy was about “erring on the side of caution.”
She also told KOIN it was not an ideal situation but had to be done.
“It is not convenient for our educators to report these in all instances and it’s not something that the students desire,” Govus told the station. “But for our employees to remain compliant with the law as it is written we must report and that goes for any school district employee must report any sexual activity between minors.”
Parents, students and educators decried the rule and said it would create a chilling effect for students, who they say would be less likely to come forward and have honest conversations about sex, birth control and other issues.
Kimberly Schott, a student at the school, created a petition called “Freedom to Freely Talk About Sexual Topics for Students and Teachers,” which has received more than 850 signatures at the time of this writing.
“This leaves students with no one. The students no longer have that safe teacher they can talk to. Instead the students must find a way to be sneaky and hide so that they don't get reported,” Scott wrote in the petition. “On top of this, the Teachers are losing their right to parent their children. Say the child made a mistake, they won't be able to go to their parent without fear of being reported, and the teacher will have to live with knowing their child can't trust them.”
Mindy Merritt, president of the Salem-Keizer Education Association, told the Statesman Journal that educators were still confused and worried. They could face trouble for under-reporting, but they worry their students will seek help elsewhere if they know their activities will be reported to the state. “How can we ensure we’re building trust?” Merritt told the paper.
Govus told KATU that the reports are filed, but after that, it’s up to the state as to what happens. “Now what the state does with the information that we report to them is ultimately up to them,” she told the station. “They may not take any action on it at all. They may go do a site visit. Or they may do a further investigation.”
Some have held a protest on the steps of the state capital, and another is planned, reported KATU.
This story was originally published November 2, 2017 at 11:15 AM with the headline "Overhear students talking about having sex? Report them to the government, teachers told."