State Board of Education Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey has requested his name and image be removed from the Alabama Campaign for Adolescent Sexual Health's list of board members following controversy over the group's promotion of inappropriate education materials.
The Alabama Campaign for Adolescent Sexual Health, also called the Alabama Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, is a non-profit organization advocating for comprehensive sexual education across the state.
A report from 1819 News last week detailed Mackey's position as an ex officio member of the campaign's board and the campaign's claim to "partner" with the State Department of Education.
According to Michael O. Sibley, Director of Communications for the Alabama Department of Education, Mackey has asked the board to remove his name and likeness from the website and requested they no longer use his photo and description.
"As a rule, Dr. Mackey is very selective in the organizations in which he is personally involved, like the Montgomery Rotary Club and the Youth Leadership Development Program," Sibley said. "At his request, Dr. Mackey is no longer listed as an ex officio member of the campaign, and the organization has been notified that they are not allowed to use his name or likeness – and his name has been removed from their website."
Sibley further claimed the superintendent position has automatically carried the ex officio position since 2000, starting with then-superintendent Ed Richardson.
"Dr. Mackey was never notified of the ex officio appointment since becoming Superintendent in 2018," Sibley said. "Furthermore, the executive director of the campaign explained ex officio members have no voting authority and do not participate in any policy and/or legislative positions."
Sibley concluded by stating that some of the campaign's resources were not in line with Alabama's 2019 Health Course of Study, which outlines accepted standards approved by the State Board of Education.
The 2019 Health Course of Study requires schools that perform sex education to, at a minimum, emphasize abstinence as the best form of avoiding pregnancy and disease, as well as teaching that abstinence from sexual activity outside of lawful marriage is the expected social standard for unmarried school-age persons.
To connect with the author of this story, or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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