By Troy Gillard/rdnewsNOW (Twitter: @Troy_Gillard)

Red Deer high school students shown video comparing abortion to Holocaust

Apr 11, 2017 | 9:01 AM

RED DEER – Controversy over a recent anti-abortion presentation to students at a Red Deer high school has prompted Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools to tighten its screening process.

The presentation was given to Grade 10 students at École Secondaire Notre Dame by the Red Deer & Area Pro Life group in March. In it, the presenter shared a video that compares abortion to the Holocaust.

That type of comparison, according to the school division, is unacceptable.

“It has come to our attention that the presentation by Red Deer & Area Pro-Life contained controversial resources that did not achieve the intended teaching outcome in a suitable manner,” Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools says in a statement. “Upon review, our Division has requested that Red Deer & Area Pro-Life make adjustments to their presentation to ensure it is more appropriate for students.”

The intended outcome, the district notes, was to teach students that “human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception,” as explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

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Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools says it has implemented additional steps in their screening process for outside agencies, with the hope that presenters and their materials will be more thoroughly reviewed by school staff and administration.

“With more careful screening practices, our administrators will ensure the contents will be the most suitable for our students,” says Board Chair Guy Pelletier. “We apologize for any issues this particular presentation may have caused for our students.”

According to a story from Global News, Education Minister David Eggen alerted the school district regarding the presentation and video after he was contacted by a student.

The video in question, which appears on the Red Deer and Area Pro Life Facebook page, is from Abort73, a subdivision of Loxafamosity Ministries, a non-profit Christian education corporation. Their mission is “To give people a better understanding of what abortion is and does while offering them simple ways to extend that education to those around them.”

(With file from Global News)