Planned Parenthood shocked after being suspended from Saskatchewan schools

Planned Parenthood was ousted after student was given 'completely inappropriate' material at a high school in Lumsden, Sask., according to Minister of Education Dustin Duncan.

Planned Parenthood said Saskatchewan education minister Dustin Duncan’s decision to suspend the organization from presenting in schools on Thursday came as a surprise.

“We were mostly surprised,” said Planned Parenthood executive director Julian Wotherspoon. “This was a decision that was made without contacting us to ask about our programs or any of the resources or services that we provide, so it was disappointing news.”

The ministry’s decision came after a presentation with sexual material occurred at a high school in Lumsden, Sask., according to Duncan.

The material consisted of graphic sexual vocabulary through letters of the alphabet.

Planned Parenthood did not present the material to the classroom, but one student obtained a pamphlet separately.

“It wasn’t part of what we were there to present, but when we bring secondary resources with us, none of the educators know everything and often times we will have youth come up to us after and ask us about their own experience or things that they are really curious about and it’s nice to have a box of things we can rifle through so they can get connected with the information that they need,” Wotherspoon explained.

The pamphlet titled SEX: From A-Z describes itself as “a set of cards intended for gay, bi, and queer young people. This is a fun and accessible resource that facilitates humorous and frank discussion among young people about sexuality and HIV and STI prevention. It can also be used by service providers as a discussion tool in workshops and training sessions.”

Planned Parenthood recognized that the pamphlet had not been approved by the school prior to bringing it to the building, regardless of it not being formally presented.