Raising Cane
By Rob Perez
Ties to Scouts stains
group’s teachingsA private organization whose owner discriminates on the basis of religious and sexual orientation is teaching character education to hundreds of Hawaii public school students.
The organization is Learning for Life, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Boy Scouts of America, which doesn't allow avowed gays, atheists or agnostics to join its ranks.
Instructors employed by the local council of the Boy Scouts regularly go to participating Hawaii elementary and middle schools to teach outdoor skills, such as how to build a campfire and tie knots, and character development, such as how to be a good citizen. The sessions usually are held once a week for about an hour and sometimes involve entire grade levels.
The Learning for Life program at high schools focuses primarily on career and job issues and relies mainly on volunteers from the community to talk about their professions.
Tim Thomton, director of field service for the council, said the education program, which began nearly 30 years ago in Hawaii but is now nationwide, does not in any way cover issues related to sex or religion.
"We don't get into teaching any of that kind of stuff in any of the program," Thomton said.
He also said Learning for Life doesn't restrict participation based on one's sexual or religious orientation.
But enough questions have been raised that the state Department of Education is investigating how Learning for Life's ties with the Boy Scouts affect what is being taught and whether all applicable Hawaii regulations are being met. The department, for instance, prohibits discrimination on school campuses.
The DOE review was triggered by a complaint filed recently by the Hawaii Citizens for the Separation of State and Church, which is calling for the agency to sever ties with the program. The complaint raised concerns about how closely aligned Learning for Life and the Boy Scouts are.
Learning for Life, for example, is run out of Scout headquarters on Oahu and is overseen by Scouting employees. Student roster information obtained through the program is kept on file by the local Scouting council, according to the program's agreements with individual schools. Scout officials nationally also have said Learning for Life promotes the Scouting mission to students.
"This is a pretty well-crafted way for the Boy Scouts of America to actively function in public schools, even though it's a discriminatory organization," said Mitch Kahle, president of the Hawaii Citizens group.
Kahle questioned whether the Scouts are using Learning for Life as a membership recruiting tool -- something Thomton denied.
If a student initiates an inquiry about joining the Scouts, however, they are given references, Thomton said.
"Otherwise, there's no hard or soft sale. ... We don't use Learning for Life as a direct means to further the traditional (Scouting) program," he said.
DOE spokesman Greg Knudsen said the department is looking into a number of concerns, including whether anything objectionable is in the Learning for Life curriculum.
"We do feel the complaint that has been submitted raises some serious questions," Knudsen said.
When Kahle first started asking DOE about the program, it had few answers. That's because there isn't department-wide oversight of the schools' involvement with the program. It's up to the individual schools to determine whether Learning for Life instruction should be incorporated into the curriculum and in what way.
To illustrate how little the department gets involved, Knudsen wasn't even aware how many public schools in Hawaii participate in the program.
Thomton said that number is nearly 50, involving as many as 11,500 students, including roughly 2,000 at the elementary school level.
Although the department is seeking legal guidance regarding the concerns raised, it generally is not in a position to prescreen organizations based on their values and beliefs, Knudsen said.
As long as an organization abides by all applicable federal, state and local laws, and DOE rules, it would be allowed on campus, he said.
Even though school officials are disturbed by the Boy Scouts' discriminatory policies, "that doesn't automatically mean they're banned from campus," Knudsen said.
Using that guideline, however, the department theoretically would have to allow a white supremacist organization such as the Ku Klux Klan to teach character education classes or sponsor campus activities during school hours.
But, Knudsen responded, "Extreme cases like that aren't as likely to occur."
School administrators who are familiar with the Learning for Life program give it high marks.
At Iliahi Elementary School in Wahiawa, a Scout instructor teaches outdoor survival skills and discusses the responsibilities of being a U.S. citizen as part of early-American history courses for fifth-graders.
"It's been so positive," Iliahi Principal Jane Serikaku said. "The sessions have been really meaningful for our students."
She said Learning for Life is not used to recruit Scout members, nor does it cover religion or sex issues. Serikaku believes the program should be allowed to continue at the school.
The Boy Scouts can't have it both ways, though.
If it wants to continue its discriminatory practices, something that has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, the organization shouldn't be allowed on Hawaii campuses, even through a subsidiary, during class hours. It especially shouldn't be allowed to teach public school students about good character.
Being tolerant of different beliefs and lifestyles is an important part of demonstrating sound character. On that front at least, the Scouts make lousy teachers.
Star-Bulletin columnist Rob Perez writes on issues
and events affecting Hawaii. Fax 529-4750, or write to
Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210,
Honolulu 96813. He can also be reached
by e-mail at: rperez@starbulletin.com.
