A unanimous vote by the Lynn school committee Thursday night will make condoms, birth control and emergency contraceptives available at high schools in the Massachusetts city.
The meeting room was packed with parents giving their input, many concerned it's taking away their parental rights.
"She's 14. I don't believe she's ready for sex. I think kids are very immature these days. By handing out birth control and condoms, it's like giving them permission to go out and have sex," said parent Johnnieann Pahlm.
"I think they should promote health and teaching them about abstinence and educating parents, as well," said another parent, Maribel Matul.
Lynn has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the state.
Teen moms also spoke, explaining that they wish they had the resources available to them.
"I knew very little of the subject of sex other than my parents forbidding to talk about it," said one young mom. "I was 16 when I had my first experience with someone I trusted. I had no clue what types of birth control were available to me, not even a location to buy it."
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"I have teenagers who are in high school, and tell me, 'I have a pregnancy scare, what do I do? Where do I go? I want to talk to my mom, but I'm scared.' They wish they could go to a nurse and get Plan B or birth control," said another teen mom, Jailynn Enriquez.
Also in attendance was Michael King of the Massachusetts Family Institute, which is disappointed with the outcome.
"If you look at the New England Journal of Medicine, they came out with a study in 2017 with the increased risk of breast cancer for prolonged use of these hormonal contraceptives, so there's a lot to talk about, and we don't think that information is getting to the kids," King said.
There is no timetable for the contraceptives in school yet.
