By JILL MCNEAL
6 News Anchor/Reporter
KNOXVILLE (WATE) - The controversy over Planned Parenthood in Knox County schools continued Wednesday night with dozens of passionate people speaking out at the school board meeting.
After complaints from parents, Superintendent Dr. Jim McIntyre recently decided Planned Parenthood and other outside groups would no longer be allowed to give sex education presentations to students.
"Planned Parenthood is a wolf in sheep's clothing and it is prowling among our own children," said Giannine Morris.
The parents who fought to get Planned Parenthood out of Knox County Schools still want to know how the controversial group got in the first place.
"To me, to allow Planned Parenthood to teach sex education in the public schools is tantamount to allowing the Ku Klux Klan to teach their radical racist wrong viewpoint of American history to innocent children," said Barry Walker.
"Let's not let anybody come back into our schools and tell them that anything other than abstinence only education works because it doesn't," said Matthew Parsons.
One of the complaints against Planned Parenthood was the graphic information available on its website and those linked to it.
"If you think these kids haven't already been poking around the Internet the find out about sex, I think you're naive," said Ann Strange.
"I view sex as a confusing and sensitive issue for curious adolescents who have questions about changes that are occurring in their physical and psychological development. I do not view it as something inherently dirty or evil, a taboo to be swept under the rug while I stick my fingers in my ears and sing loudly, 'Abstinence Only,'" said Julie Gautreau.
A Bearden High School student and Planned Parenthood peer educator was one of the last to speak at the meeting. "I think that as students, we have the right to information, no matter what it's about, no matter how controversial it is," said Kristin Maxwell.
Those opposed to Planned Parenthood are concerned about local teachers attending the group's conferences with school funding. The superintendent said that is a possibility.
