Surprise Vote May End Sex Ed Contract

Photo courtesy of Teddie Ray Laguna Beach resident Teddie Ray, second from left, is a major supporter of Planned Parenthood's health education initiatives, threatened by the loss of a county contract. With her are supporters Jon Dunn, Allyson Sonenshine, and Lance Brown.

For the past 12 years, Laguna Beach's Teddie Ray has been the driving force behind the hugely successful Haute Wired Ball, an annual gala that has raised $600,000 to date for the health education programs of Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties.

Yet after a March 10 vote by the county Board of Supervisors to suspend a $291,788 education grant with Planned Parenthood, Ray may be hosting a monthly ball instead.

The supervisors' decision clearly unsettles Ray, a Planned Parenthood board member, who was blindsided by the vote. The organization's board was informed its contract was in jeopardy five business days before the scheduled vote.

The unanimous vote followed hours of heated public testimony, with most in favor of continuing the contract that provides free health education to all girls and young women, including those at Juvenile Hall, Irvine High School, St. Mary's All Angels School and the Santa Ana Youth Council.

Supervisors, however, contend the money is used to fund abortions, and most cited moral or religious reasons to vote against continuing the contract, part of a $7.5-million agreement with the Orange County Coalition Clinics and funded through tobacco settlement revenue.

"We just don't think government money should be used to talk to teens and preteens about birth control and abortion," Mario Mainero, chief of staff to Supervisor John Moorlach, told the Orange County Register.

That position appears to conflict with a statewide 2007 poll where 89 percent of parents say they want comprehensive sex education for their children and where the majority of abortions are publicly funded.

Two other supervisors made a point of mentioning their Roman Catholic beliefs before voting, even though other clinics in the coalition provide birth control, and some funded hospitals perform abortions.

Ray is particularly dismayed by the position of Fifth District Supervisor and Board Chair Pat Bates of Laguna Niguel.

"I respect Bates' commitment to her faith, but Pat's commitment to the community is to serve everyone regardless of faith," said Ray, urging the public to let Bates know they support comprehensive sex education and Planned Parenthood.

"Let Pat know funding health education programs doesn't fund more abortions; it prevents them by giving teens and young adults the information needed to make healthy decisions," Ray said, predicting the impact on health education will be harmful, if the decision is made official.

Supervisor Bill Campbell is now proposing shifting the money to Birth Choice Health Clinics, a Santa Ana-based "prolife ministry" group that uses ultrasound viewings and biblical material to counsel women. Campbell is expected to meet with Karen Eaton, chief executive and founder of Birth Choice, April 6 to discuss the possibility of Birth Choice taking over the county health contract.

"I can't be an advocate of what Planned Parenthood is," Campbell said recently.

One in three county women say they have tapped Planned Parenthood services at some time in their life, according to Planned Parenthood research.

Whether the board can legally rescind the contract based on opposition to abortions is still unclear, since the right to abortion is constitutionally protected. The supervisors are awaiting a legal opinion before making a final decision.

In the meantime, Ray, a board member for nearly 15 years, will be keeping an eye on more than her ball gowns.

"I joined the board because I felt it important to give women, teens in particular, safe access to reproductive health services and education. At the time, the issue was sensitive. Teachers and parents were embarrassed to give teens the information they needed to make informed and responsible decisions. I wanted to help make the issue socially correct to discuss and support," Ray said.

She has since chaired a number of events, and was instrumental in establishing the organization's online hotline, texting service, and toll-free hotline, the only one in Southern California, which has received nearly 40,000 calls since its inception.

With so many positive advances, Ray finds daunting the prospect of losing what amounts to half of the organization's health education budget. "And we don't know where we will be able to turn if we can't provide these programs," she said. Denise Wheeler is a Laguna Beach parent and political writer.