Schools would have to receive permission of parents before teaching children sex education under a bill filed by state Rep. Betty Poirier.

Poirier, R-North Attleboro, said many sex education programs allow parents to "opt out" of a lesson they do not want their child to hear.

That, however, puts the onus on the parent, and some schools are not cooperative, she said.

Her proposal comes at a time when a Lexington man is in a legal fight with a school over his child being taught about homosexuality.

Poirier said she wants a law that would limit sex education lessons to children whose parents give signed permission for them to participate. "I think a lot of parents would have a great deal of problems if they knew what their kids are being taught," she said.

The bill would also require schools to make their sex education curriculum available for parental review and arrange for a meeting between the teacher and parents, if parents want one.

Poirier said the current method of allowing parents to opt out of objectionable classes does not work because students often do not bring the information home.

Some students do not let their parents know they have a right to opt out because the student would be embarrassed if their parents pulled them from the class, she said.

Poirier said her bill has become all the more necessary because of a health curriculum proposal at the Statehouse that contains "outrageous" sex information for young children.

She said she opposes the state mandating curriculum to local schools and objects to the explicit information in the health curriculum.

Poirier said her bill faces a tough time in the House because there is a lot of opposition to it.