Also teachers who assign “Huckleberry Finn,” “The Catcher in the Rye” and other classics, as the state Senate passes a measure allowing prosecution of teachers who distribute “harmful” literature
Kansas teachers who distribute ‘Harmful’ materials may face jail time under a new bill. The bill was reportedly first drafted in response to parent complaints about this sex-ed poster displayed last year in Hocker Grove Middle School in Shawnee, Kansas
Last month, a school in Utah sent a girl home for wearing a sleeveless dress. Last week, another school turned away a girl because she tried to attend a Valentine’s Day dance without a date. And now there’s this.
On Feb. 25, the Kansas Senate passed a bill that makes it possible to imprison teachers who distribute so-called inappropriate materials — from sex ed textbooks to several works of classic literature — to their students.
The bill, proposed by conservative state Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook (pictured), deletes a provision in current state law that exempts schoolteachers and officials from such prosecutions. Senators passed the bill 26 to 14.
The Kansas legislature already had a law in place that criminalized promoting material “harmful to minors,” but certain institutions, such as schools and museums, were previously exempt from this rule for educational purposes. Senate Bill 56, which overwhelmingly passed with a26-14 vote, removes that exemption specifically for schools within the state.
Here’s how it happened and why it matters, no matter where you live:
