N.B. schools told not to book sex education group, minister says

Minister of Education Bill Hogan says he's made good on the premier'spromise to ban a Quebec-based sex education group from New Brunswick.

On Friday Blaine Higgs posted a screenshot to X, formerly Twitter, of a sex education presentation that showed several questions about masturbation, pornography and anal sex.

Higgssaid the material was "clearly inappropriate" and, "effective immediately," the group wouldn't be allowed back in New Brunswick schools.

On Wednesday, Hogan said he had implemented that change, but added that hehadn't communicated directly with the group.

"We've told the high schools that any presentations from that group that have been pre-booked are cancelled," Hogan said.

"I believe that the group knows that ...I think the group knows that they're not welcome in New Brunswick."

Teresa Norris, president of a charity called HPV Global Action, which operates theyouth sexual education resource called Thirsty for the Talk, told CBC News on Wednesday that no one from the provincial government hadreached out to tell her anything about the ban.

She disagrees with the premier's claim that the presentation, which was given to Grade 9 to Grade 11 students, veers outside the provincial curriculum.

"We're not creating something that the province hasn't already put in place," she said previously in an interview, noting she has been delivering that presentation in New Brunswick for several years.

Higgs told reporters he decided to ban the group based ona picturehe saw of one slide and said he had not seen a copy of the full presentation.

The premier did not answer a question about why he wouldn't have a discussion with the group, but said an investigation into the matteris underway.

Hogan said the goal of the investigationisto identify what kind of vetting happened before the group was asked to make the sex education presentation.

"What I want to know is, who vetted it, how they vetted itand why it was recommended to go forward in some of the high schools," he said.

Hogan said the group was "recommended by another party," but declined to give any more details.

The minister also gave few details onthe nature of the vetting process forhigh school presentations.

"A presentation would be vetted before it goes before the children," he said. "Itcould be the district, it could be the department, could be the principalit depends on what it is."

Norris said schools sign a consent form and are provided with an outline of the topics to be covered ahead of her presentation.

Opposition leaders have accused Higgs of stirring up anger in order to collect contact informationahead of the October provincial election, as the X post linked to a campaign survey requiring an email to respond.

Green Party Leader David Coon called the province's treatment of the group"irresponsible."

"It seems like confusion is reigning on this matter," Coon said, speaking with reporters at the legislature.

"Clearly permission was provided, either by the school or school district, and it should be easy enough to clear up."

Paul MacIntosh, a spokesperson for the Anglophone West School District,said the district hasreceived instructions from the education department to ban the group.

The Anglophone South and North school districts did not respond to a request for comment, while Anglophone East declined to comment.