PORTLAND (AP) – The Portland School Committee has no plans to reconsider its 7-2 decision to provide prescription contraceptives to students at King Middle School despite the threat of a lawsuit, the panel’s chairman said.
But the committee is seeking a legal review of a proposal by a member who cast one of the two votes against the measure to clarify several of its elements, said Chairman John Coyne, who joined Benjamin Meiklejohn in voting against the contraceptives.
Six people spoke against providing birth control at the middle school and nine spoke in favor at the committee’s regular meeting Wednesday night.
It was the first regular business meeting since the American Center for Law & Justice threatened to sue the Portland School Committee.
The Washington-based law firm says contraceptives should be available only to students 14 and older – and only with a parent’s written permission.
“They have to make the policy so that parents give their consent. If they go and dispense these things behind the parents’ backs, I still think they’ve got a constitutional problem,” said Stephen Whiting, who represents the American Center for Law & Justice.
Whiting wasn’t allowed to speak at the meeting because he lives in Scarborough. Only Portland residents were allowed to address the committee.
Scott Webber, the parent of a King student, praised the school’s health center but said the committee should reverse its Oct. 17 decision. “I do not think it is right for (the health center staff) or the school to take the rights of parents away,” Webber said.
But other parents backed the school committee’s decision.
“You have my very strong support,” said Dr. Ellen Popenoe, another King parent, who was upset by the national media attention and outsiders trying to influence a local decision.
The Maine Civil Liberties Union, a legal advocacy group that supports mostly liberal causes, backs the committee’s effort to ensure that Portland’s young people have full access to comprehensive medical care, said Shenna Bellows, executive director.
—
Information from: Portland Press Herald, http://www.pressherald.com
AP-ES-11-08-07 0835EST
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.