Ga. lawmaker pushes for schools to teach about consent
In 2018, then-Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed Senate Bill 401 into law.
The legislation mostly known as “Erin’s Law” requires students in kindergarten through 9th grades to be taught about sexual abuse, but the bill does not require educators to teach about consent.
State Rep. Jasmine Clark, who represents House District 108, says teaching children consent empowers and provides them with information to have healthy relationships throughout their lives.
On Wednesday’s edition of “Closer Look,” Clark talked with program host Rose Scott about House Bill 857.
The proposed legislation, pre-filed by Clark ahead of the Georgia General Assembly’s 2022 legislative session, focuses on requiring Georgia school districts to require educators to teach students about consent in their sex education curriculum to prevent sexual assault in an age-appropriate manner.
“When you teach people about consent, you equip people to know when it is okay to continue in a sex act, but also when something is not right when this is not okay and what is being done to me is not consensual,” said Clark.
During the conversation, Clark further explained how educating children about affirmative consent reduces sexual assault, the importance of teaching students a medically accurate sex education curriculum and HIV prevention.
To listen to the full conversation, click the audio player above
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