Library’s sex ed workshop causes controversy requiring extra security

A recent teen sex education program ignited controversy in southern Maryland when the Lexington Park Library in St. Mary’s County hosted a workshop open only to teenagers, no parents allowed, on May 21, 2017. Critics say the sex ed class was an exercise in perversion and sexual deviance by a presenter with ties to abortion.

The class was fraught with controversy even prior to its debut. The Bay Net, the local newspaper, reported that the library was planning extra security. Part of the issue was the teacher of the workshop. The newspaper reported:

The watchdog website Creepy Library reported that Palmisano isn’t safe for kids at all:

Indeed, the woman who describes herself as a “Healthcare Trainer” fills her Twitter page with sex-based articles and ideas, and even abortion.

Palmisano also describes herself on her consulting website this way:

Palmisano’s website, Intimate Health Consulting, reveals a wealth of sex-oriented topics, including things such as “BDSM and kink culture.” Meanwhile, Palmisano’s organization’s Facebook page is a mix of sex ed articles and abortion advocacy.

Thus, it’s clear that the issue at hand is not, as Palmisano asserts throughout Twitter, the need for honest sex education discussions. Palmisano praised the students she taught at the workshop, yet she noted the “hate and bigotry” of those opposed to her sexual agenda. She wrote a series of tweets after her workshop:

What Palmisano describes as hate, parents and community members described as love for their children. TheBayNet.com reported:

An article meant to profile Palmisano positively, also notes the opposition:

The Library Board of Trustees originally canceled the class after public outcry due to what they called “inappropriate” content in a March 22, 2017, press release. However, SMASH then rented a room at the library and the class was back on.

Concerned parent Greg Sauter told The Enterprise that parents had not been able to review the materials that would be presented in the class. “Closing the doors to parents during the event with the presenter left as the only adult in the room is not safe. We owe our children a safe library environment,” he said.