South Carolina lawmakers have called on their state's superintendent of education to sever ties with a psychology association they allege supports "explicit sexual content" in schools.
In an effort led by Congressman Jeff Duncan, Republicans from the South Carolina delegation to Congress have written an open letter to South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman demanding that the head of the education system sever ties with the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and its South Carolina affiliate.
According to the five Republicans signatories to the letter, the NASP desires to push an agenda of "explicit sexual content" and that their position on such subjects "raises concerns about their resources and training material being used in schools."
The Republicans then asked that Superintendent Spearman "terminate any association with NASP and their South Carolina affiliate, as well as ensure that none of their training material or resources are being utilized in South Carolina schools."
Lawmakers first turned their crosshairs to the NASP following the organization's decision to contact Congressional offices in response to the Stop Sexualization of Children Act, which NASP wanted to fail in the House of Representatives.
According to Duncan and his colleagues, the South Carolina members of Congress have confirmed that the state affiliate, the South Carolina Association of School Psychologists, holds similar positions to its national counterpart.
"NASP’s statement in opposition to this legislation makes egregious and dangerous claims in support of explicit sexual education and gender identity indoctrination to young children, and advocates for allowing children under the age of ten years old to be exposed to sexually explicit content," the legislators wrote to Spearman.
Rep. Duncan was joined by his fellow Republican lawmakers Reps. Nancy Mace, Ralph Norman, William Timmons, and Joe Wilson.
The office of Representative Tom Rice, the sole South Carolina Republican missing from the signatories, did not immediately return a request for comment about his decision not to join his colleagues.
