Conservative Actress Jeanine Turner Under Fire for Constitution Talk

A presentation by Friday Night Lights and Northern Exposure actress Janine Turner upset some Texas parents and school officials and left the actress feeling "astounded and disappointed" after being attacked on social media.

 

On September 12, Turner spoke to 600 middle school students at Eubanks Intermediary School of the Carroll Independent School District about the U.S. Constitution in honor of Constitution Day.

 

Turner is the founder of Constituting America, a nonpartisan group aimed at promoting civic engagement in, and understanding of, the U.S. Constitution. 

 

After Turner's presentatation to students, Carroll School District sent parents a letter apologizing that students were given inappropriate content for their age.

 

District spokeswoman Julie Thannum  told the Dallas Morning News,  "The program itself was great as she talked about love for country and being a good citizen. It wasn't until later that we started getting calls and seeing social media postings upset about materials the speaker passed out to the children ... These aren't the topics we'd typically talk about with fifth and sixth graders."

 

The Dallas Morning News also published the misleading headline, "School officials apologize after Janine Turner distributes materials on sex-trafficking, abortion to kids."

 

Then Turner began getting attacked on social media.

 

Students were not given "materials" about sex-trafficking and abortion, but an 11-page research paper about legislation that included the words, "sex-trafficking" and "abortion."

 

Turner said students received a folder that included 'The Truth Act', and Constituting America's corresponding paper discussing the bills of Congress from 1787 to the 1970's. Turner said the paper was "bi-partisan."

 

Turner gave school officials the folder in March in order to inspect so that they, "could look at it and let us know if she wanted to change anything," she said.

 

Turner said, "If asked to do so, we most certainly would have instantly removed the 11-page research paper, which mentions, in the scope of one paragraph and in the confines of highlighting an example of a poor, voluminous and incoherent bill, the words "sexual trafficking" and "abortion." Never would we want to expose a student to a word or words that are too complex, confusing and/or not suitable. We are currently reviewing the practice of including the research paper and are going to be more selective in the future."