Utah bill to teach consent in sex ed classes rejected in committee

Utah’s House Education Committee struck down a bill this week that would have required sex education classes to teach consent.

The bill was introduced by state Rep. Carol Spackman Moss (D) and struck down in a 4-7 vote, Deseret News reported.

The legislation would have required instruction regarding consent, sexual violence behavior prevention and sexual assault resource strategies.

Committee members who opposed the bill argued that refusal skills had already been adopted by the state’s board of education and were now part of curriculum standards, the newspaper reported.

Moss said she plans to address such concerns before resubmitting the bill for committee consideration, Deseret News reported.

“My motivation is not to get some liberal curriculum into the schools, as many people have made that accusation, but rather to give kids information that they can use to protect themselves,” said Moss, a retired teacher who disclosed that her three daughters were sexually abused by a relative when they were minors.

Utah allows parents to decide if their kids will go through sexual education courses, and parents can opt them out of it if they feel uncomfortable.

“I believe that parents are the primary educators of their children’s sexual education but schools can open the door for conversation,” Moss said.

Proponents of sex education that includes teaching consent argue that it would help many young teens learn how to respond in certain situations and what to do if they are a victim of sexual violence.