New Brunswick Premier bans sex education classes in provincial schools

New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has banned a Quebec-based sex education organization from distributing information to provincial schools after what he deemed an “inappropriate” presentation to high schools.

In a lengthy post on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), Higgs says he’s heard from concerned parents sharing photos and screenshots of presentation materials from Montreal-based sex education group Thirsty for the Talk.

A photo Higgs shared as part of the social media thread shows a presentation slide with questions such as, “Do girls masturbate?” and “Does it hurt the first time?”

He says the Department of Education told him the presentation was supposed to be about the human papillomavirus, and the group shared materials that went beyond that scope.

Thirsty for the Talk did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday.

Higgs’ X-post says parents must be respected, a phrase similar to the one he used when discussing his government’s controversial changes to provincial policies on gender identity in schools. The new rules require students to get their parents’ consent before teachers can use their preferred names and pronouns.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 26, 2024.

The Canadian Press