Testimony of the Maine Medical Association

In Opposition to

L.D 94, An Act to Prohibit the Dissemination of

Obscene Material by Public Schools  

Joint Standing Criminal Justice and Public Safety
Room 436, Cross State Office Building
Monday, February 4, 2019

Good afternoon Senator Deschambault, Representative Warren, and Members of the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety. I am Peter Michaud, Associate General Counsel for the Maine Medical Association (MMA) and a registered nurse. I live in Readfield, and I am speaking in opposition to LD 94, An Act to Prohibit the Dissemination of Obscene Material by Public Schools.

The MMA is a professional association representing more than 4,000 physicians, residents, and medical students in Maine whose mission is to support Maine physicians, advance the quality of medicine in Maine, and promote the health of all Maine citizens. We represent physicians from all medical specialties, as well as pediatrics, public health and primary care.

At the public hearing on February 4^th, there was discussion of matters of both sexuality and violence that are deemed inappropriate for school children of various ages. While the MMA as a medical society is very sensitive to issues of child abuse and neglect as well as adolescent and child suicide, we urge you to be extremely careful in acting to prohibit any particular subject areas.

Different people have different opinions about what is obscene. Health and sex education books and films might well be considered obscene by a small minority of people, since they can depict body parts and functions that those people find offensive. Art materials showing universally recognized masterpieces such as Michelangelo’s “David” depict frontal nudity. There is a book that tells of a father’s putting a knife to his son’s throat with the intention of killing him…but should the story of Abraham and Isaac in the Book of Genesis be considered inappropriate for school-age children?

We have school administrations and teacher teams who are experienced in making these judgments, and who are tasked with making them. The Maine Medical Association asks that you leave those decisions to these representatives of our communities.

We respectfully ask you to vote LD 94, even in its amended form, “Ought Not to Pass.” I would be happy to respond to any questions you may have.