About Us
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ParentAndChild.org began in 2015 when a group of parents whose children attended Fairfax County Public Schools examined the entire Kindergarten to 12th grade Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum and discovered serious flaws, discrepancies, and omissions. These parents wanted to make other parents aware of the problems in FLE lessons and help them decide if these lessons were appropriate for their children.John Murray, a long-time resident of Fairfax County, has been director of parentandchild.org since it began. His experience as a coach, scout leader, giving talks to high school and college students, father of three children, and 12 years working with a local pregnancy center helped him recognize problems in the Family Life Education curriculum.
He has spoken before the Fairfax County School Board and the Virginia Department of Education on Family Life Education issues, given talks to parents about the Family Life Education curriculum, and is responsible for the content of the parentandchild.org website.
John and his wife have three adult children, all of whom attended Fairfax County Public Schools from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
He has a bachelor of science degree in biology from Georgetown University.John is available to speak to churches, parent groups, and others about the Family Life Education curriculum taught in Fairfax County Public Schools and can be reached through the Contact Page on this website.
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John Murray's Presentations
Thank you for your interest in the Family Life Education (FLE) curriculum taught in Fairfax County Public Schools. This presentation is designed to inform parents about the serious problems in the FLE and reveal better alternatives. The talk runs 40 minutes and with a question-and-answer period takes about an hour.
Introduction How parentandchild.org began, Mr. Murray’s background and experience, a brief outline of the FLE curriculum, a lesson excerpt, and the parentandchild.org “stoplight” color chart.
FLE Indoctrination and Conditioning This section begins by quoting the FLE Philosophy Statement which claims to teach students abstinence until marriage and to work in partnership with parents. A sampling of quotations from FLE lessons reveals that the FLE actually encourages sexual relationships outside of marriage, teaches students how to obtain contraceptives and abortion without parents finding out, and contains additional harmful and misguided teachings as well as serious omissions.
In the FLE, consent replaces marriage, sexual partner substitutes for spouse. Conditioning children to have sex with multiple partners during the course of their lives is the underlying assumption of the FLE.
Sexuality as taught in the FLE is the opposite of Catholic sexuality and family formation. In the FLE, cohabitation is equal to marriage, recreational sex is encouraged, marriage and having children is brushed aside, and life (childbirth) and death (abortion) are equally acceptable options. Transgender identity is promoted and maleness and femaleness erased. From a health standpoint, the FLE jeopardizes students’ physical and emotional wellbeing by promoting casual sex and unsafe sexual practices. The very name “Family Life Education” is a misnomer since the curriculum focuses on sex without marriage, children, or family formation.
Harmful consequences Mr. Murray’s 12-years’ experience as a board member of a pregnancy resource center showed him that the FLE approach to sexuality often results in unexpected pregnancy and the resulting devastation of abortion or lonely single motherhood.
Modified Curriculum This is a separate FLE curriculum for students with different abilities who face learning challenges. The Modified Curriculum promotes LGBT behaviors, highlights the possibility of parents divorcing, and includes a lengthy section on the death of family members, friends, and pets.
FLE alternatives The concluding part of the presentation shows parents how to opt out of FLE lessons and take back their role as primary teachers of their children, offering practical and authentically Catholic resources (much of it online and free) that will instill in their children a loving, faith-based, and realistic approach to marriage and sexuality.
Sample books, flyers, and online resources A handout listing Catholic books, pamphlets, online videos and other resources on sexuality and family life will be provided along with copies of the FLE “stoplight” chart. A collection of books and pamphlets will be made available for parents to look over.
Presented by John Murray, Director, parentandchild.org; Pro-life coordinator, St. Mary of Sorrows, Fairfax; Advisory board member, A Best Choice mobile ultrasound and pregnancy resource center; Bachelor of science, biology, Georgetown University; Certification in health care ethics, National Catholic Bioethics Center, Knights of Columbus Pro-Life Ace Award.
This presentation is in accord with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and established Catholic doctrine while sensitive to the challenges faced in today’s society and culture.
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