Dear Parent/Guardian:

Many states, including Alabama, in the past several years, have passed laws with the intent of increasing the awareness of child sexual abuse. You may have heard of this legislation under its more common name, Erin's Law, in honor of Erin Merryn, a brave young woman who has crossed the country advocating for laws that will increase awareness of this crime against children. One of the requirements of this law is that schools provide an age-appropriate curriculum to all students relating to sexual abuse prevention, which may include a variety of discussions, activities, and videos. The purpose of the lessons is to provide students with the tools needed for personal safety and to provide a nurturing and caring environment open for disclosure of any incidents.

During the 2021-22 school year, the counselor or agency representative will be presenting lessons to the class to meet the requirements of Erin’s Law and will be discussing the following concepts:

• Ways to be safe, such as but not limited to, wearing a bike helmet, asking before petting a dog, crossing  
   the road, and safe and unsafe touches
• Ask First Rule, for example, asking before going to a friend’s house
  • How to say no and tell a trusted adult

Through this program aimed at educating and empowering students, we want to provide your student with the knowledge and skills to use if ever affected by sexual violence. For more information on Erin’s Law, please visit erinslaw.org 

If you have any questions about the content of the program, please contact your school’s principal or counselor. The district has prepared a parent information video that is posted on all school websites.  

All students will participate in sexual abuse prevention lessons unless you choose for your child to NOT participate. Please sign below and return only if you do NOT WANT YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE.

Sincerely,
 
Tallassee City Schools’ School Counselors & Administrators