Planned Parenthood Supporters Urge Orange County, Calif., Board To Reinstate Sex Education Grant

Supporters of Planned Parenthood Orange and San Bernardino Counties are petitioning the Orange County, Calif., Board of Supervisors to reverse its March 10 decision to suspend a sex education grant to the organization, the Orange County Register reports. The board had voted unanimously to suspend the $291,788 grant after several board members said they opposed awarding grants to Planned Parenthood because its clinics perform abortions (Muir, Orange County Register, 4/7). Representatives for Planned Parenthood said the grant in question was not used to fund abortions. The grant was used to fund a sex education program that offers information about physiology, anatomy, sexually transmitted infections, birth control and abstinence (Hanley, Los Angeles Times, 4/8).

The Register reports that about 50 supporters from several groups attended the board's Tuesday meeting to urge supervisors to reinstate the grant. Carla Westfall, a representative for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said the group is "appalled" that members of the board presented "religious views as justification for rescinding an existing contract with a group that was providing a much needed public service and was doing it well." Allyson Sonenshine, president of the local Planned Parenthood board, presented a petition with more than 2,400 signatures in support of reinstating the grant. She said losing the grant will have a drastic impact on Planned Parenthood's health education programs in the county.

The supervisors did not address the issue because it was not on the agenda, and the board is not scheduled to reconvene for two weeks, the Register reports. County spokesperson Brooke De Baca said the county will not speculate on what could happen if the grant is never reconsidered. The Register reports that it is unclear whether the contract would be reinstated if the supervisors take no action or if it can remain suspended indefinitely (Orange County Register, 4/7).


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