Vista, San Diego County

This city's school board voted yesterday to adopt a controversial sex education program with religious overtones that preaches a strict message of sexual abstinence and avoids mention of contraception.

"Sex Respect," [don't you love fundie code words? -jv] which has been legally challenged in school districts across the country, was chosen by the school board over a state-sanctioned "family life" program, despite costing $30 more per student to implement.

Critics of "Sex Respect" said yesterday that they expect to sue the district when the program is put in place n July.

In an emotional meeting that lasted until early yesterday morning, the Christian conservative majority of the five-member board also voted to replace its staff attorneys with anti-abortion lawyer David Llewellyn of Sacramento, who often represents Christian political organizations. Barbara Donovan, chairwoman of Community Action for Public Education, said the board, by hiring Llewellyn, is gearing up for her group's expected legal challenge to Sex Respect.

"Why hire someone with a specialty unless you know you'll need the specialty?" said Donovan, who called 'Sex Respect' a fear-based program that "they're using to lord their 'moral values' over the consideration of everyone else in Vista. This was not a popular decision."

Angry parents and teachers often protest against Board President Deidre Holliday and fellow members John Tyndall and Joyce Lee, who were the targets of a recent recall bid that failed to gather enough signatures but have said they will attempt another recall in November. Among other actions, the board voted to reject the inclusion of Secular Humanism into religion classes. Trustee Sandee Carter accused board member Tyndall of hoping to include Secular Humanism in the district curriculum in a thinly veiled attempt to "belittle or demean people who do not worship the way you do."

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