Board considers removing sex-ed magazine from Jersey Shore junior high

LITTLE EGG HARBOR — A Jersey Shore school board is considering removing copies of a sex-education magazine from a junior high library after some parents and a school board member complained it's too explicit.

The magazine, called Sex, Etc., go beyond "valuable information" and include graphic images and text, Pinelands Regional School District board member Stephen Kubricki said.

Some parents have objected to the content, which includes articles with titles such as, "The clitoris and pleasure: What you should know."

"I don't think it's appropriate," said Cat Williams, who has a 17-year-old in the school district. She said teenagers should go to their parents with questions about sex.

The magazine is produced by a Rutgers University-based group called Answer. Their mission, according to their website, is to "create a world where sexuality is understood, valued and respected."

Lucinda Holt, a spokeswoman for the organization that produces the magazine, told the Asbury Park Press it follows sex education standards, and the material is reviewed by doctors and other experts before publication. She said the magazine is mostly distributed to high schools, but some middle schools also subscribe.

"I'm hoping that parents know that the information that we provide young people is to make sure they have information to make healthy decisions, and we want parents talking with children about these issues," Holt said.

The magazines were removed from tables in the library Monday and placed on shelves while the board considers getting rid of them.

Board attorney Amy Houck Elco advised members to wait for a committee's review of the content before making a decision. She said material cannot be removed solely because some people find it offensive

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