A middle school health teacher was put on paid administrative leave in Herriman, Utah after answering students’ questions about oral sex and masturbation. The school district has launched an investigation to determine what course of action should be taken. Meanwhile, parents are outraged and Rep. Carl Wimmer is planning to introduce legislation that will enforce criminal penalties on teachers that deviate from the state law when teaching sex education. The bill would also create a registry of the names of the teachers who violate the law. The law requires that sex education focus on healthy relationships, the prevention of diseases and physical and emotional development and it prohibits promoting or encouraging sexual behavior.

Students in support of the teacher held up signs in front of the school that read “We were the ones asking her questions.” These students are obviously not getting information about sex at home or at church, so they are turning to the next logical person to ask: their health teacher. I admire this woman’s bravery and commitment to teaching. She could have easily avoided answering the students’ questions, but instead she gave them all of the information they asked for. We should have more teachers like her in our schools.