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He says a recent article on the King Middle School birth control controversy qualifies as hate speech.

By SETH HARKNESS, Staff Writer February 23, 2008

The executive director of the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence says a recent article by the head of Maine's Christian Civic League is an invitation to violence and qualifies as hate speech.

Stephen Wessler, a former civil rights attorney with the state Attorney General's Office, has called for Michael Heath to be censured for an article he published on the Christian Civic League's Web site this month. The article addressed the Legislature's response to last year's birth control controversy at King Middle School in Portland.

Heath wrote that providing contraceptives to middle school students without parental permission threatens the children's innocence, and that "Jesus suggests that a watery grave is the appropriate resting place for adults who violate this innocence."

In an interview this week, Wessler said Heath's words were inflammatory and should be condemned by the Legislature and the Christian Civic League of Maine. He said that such speech has no place in public discourse.

"That's absolutely going over the line," Wessler said. "You don't use language that suggests that Jesus would approve of people dying because they disagree."

Heath, the league's executive director, said that he never advocated violence, and that Wessler has taken his words out of context.

He said he was simply quoting the Bible to make the point that adults have a responsibility to protect the innocence of children.

Dallas Henry, the league's president, defended Heath for his column, which appeared on the group's Web site on Feb. 1. He said Heath cannot be faulted for paraphrasing Scripture.

"If Mr. Wessler is going to accuse Michael Heath of hate speech, then he really has to accuse Jesus of hate speech," he said.

Henry said Wessler is misconstruing Heath's words, which were meant to convey that "it is beyond ridiculous to promote birth control to children so young." He said Wessler's criticism is a diversion from the real issue raised by the King Middle School controversy.

"Instead of addressing the issue of, is it OK to provide birth control to 11-year-old girls, instead they attack us on Michael Heath, the messenger rather than the message," he said.

The Portland School Committee voted in October to make King the first middle school in Maine where prescription birth control is available to girls in grades 6, 7 and 8. Advocates said the measure would help protect the few King students who are sexually active. Critics said it infringed on parents' rights.

Earlier this year, legislative leaders blocked the introduction of a bill to require parental consent before schools could provide prescription birth control to children younger than 15. This month, the Legislature blocked the drafting of a bill that would have set limits on dispensing prescription drugs to children.

Wessler's criticism came to light when he submitted an article about his concern to the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram.

Wessler, who spoke from Northern Ireland, where he was working this week, said he has never before called for Heath's or any other public figure's censure. He said he did so this time because he believed Heath's article had the potential to incite violence.

"This isn't about Michael Heath's right to say this," he said. "It's about, should any responsible leader engage in dialogue that suggests death is an appropriate consequence."

Staff Writer Seth Harkness can be contacted at 282-8225 or at:

sharkness@pressherald.com