PITTSFIELD — “Two set of values are in conflict” in SAD 53, James Higgs told a group of about 30 parents and residents Tuesday night.

Higgs and Carol Millett, both of Pittsfield, held a meeting in the Town Council room to explain their opposition to the sexuality-education curriculum proposed for the three-town district.

“We’re not a religious group. This doesn’t come from religious anything. We’re parents like you who deep down inside don’t want your children to become sexually active,” Higgs said.

Millett and Higgs have led similar meetings in an effort to promote support for an abstinence- based sexuality education program. Using graphs, charts and newspaper clippings, the two demonstrated how abstinence-based sex education had changed sexual attitudes among participating teen-agers. Copies of the materials were passed out to those present.

Higgs and Millet stressed their concern that early introduction of sexual information leads to early sexual activity by children. Higgs found many topics in the proposed curriculum inappropriate for children ages 7, 8, and 9.

“This has been watered down from the original document,” he said. “but it’s pure pornography.”

“What does this community want its children taught?” Millett asked. “Is it the teachers’ right to decide what your child needs to learn? We’re not talking about math, history or geography. We’re talking about something that is intimate and private and it should remain private.”

Both stressed that providing information on birth control in a sex-education program gives children a false sense of security.

“A girl can only get pregnant 36 days out of a year. You can get STDs and AIDS every day,” Higgs said. “They are trying to reduce us to animals. Who are they to say I can’t control my sexual urges? They are trying to say our children are nothing more than animals.

“Abstinence teaching does work,” Higgs said as survey results were distributed to the audience. “Every time you give them correct information they can absorb it. We teach our kids to say no to drugs, to say no to alcohol and drinking and driving. But we are almost afraid to tell our kids it’s OK not to have sex.”

Millett said her sources had determined that the school board will approve the proposed curriculum regardless of public opinion. They urged residents to contact school board members and make their concerns known. Higgs presented the opinion sheet from the SAD 53 proposed curriculum.

The sheet offers three choices of opinion: support for the program, request for changes in the program and a place to acknowledge recommendations for those changes.

Higgs proposed that a fourth item be added: outright opposition. He urged people to fill out the sheet and provide the school board with those sheets with the names of people in opposition. If that tactic did not provide the desired changes in the school district’s plans, Higgs said he would not rule out a petition and referendum drive or an attempt to oust school board members by recall, a course of action mentioned by some of the people present.

Sandy Hamilton, a parent who attended the meeting, urged people to ask for more research on a proposed curriculum.

“Why hasn’t someone done research on the psychological effects of early sex education? We need more research. This leaves parents at a disadvantage. They (the schools) have had two years to research this. It leaves the parents at a disadvantage and the burden on the teachers. Why teach this across the board? We can be unique here. Why can’t we have a program that other people look to for success?”

The second public forum spnsored by the school board is scheduled at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, in the gymnasium at Warsaw Middle School.