Under current Texas law, public schools are protected under “obscenity exemptions” and can provide sexually explicit materials to young children by claiming that these materials serve educational purposes. Senator Mayes Middleton filed Senate Bill 412, legislation that would close this “loophole” in public schools and remove the affirmative defense.
The loophole that this legislation addresses allows obscene and harmful content to be shown to children in schools without legal repercussions. This legislation would allow public schools to be held accountable for the obscene content they have in their libraries.
On Tuesday concerned citizens, parents, and activists testified on behalf of SB 412, and among them was PTC President Vanessa Sivadge. During her testimony, she said, “The bottom line is this: there is never a good reason to allow pornography in public schools. Children are always the unwilling participants in progressive social experiments.”
Adults have a responsibility to protect the innocence of children. SB 412 was one of five bills filed to remedy the loophole that allows pornography to be legally given to children. The materials found in these public school libraries available to children are not even allowed in prisons.
These five bills were sent to the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice chaired by Senator Pete Flores who said of the legislation that they “will move our state forward in continuing to aggressively pursue and prosecute those seeking to harm and abuse our children.”
The Senate Committee did vote unanimously, 6-0, in favor of SB 412 as well as the four other bills aiming at protecting children from sexual exploitation and obscene materials in public schools. It will soon be presented to the full Senate floor.
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