At Civics Bee, Senator Argall asks North Schuylkill elementary schooler if pornography should be allowed in schools
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SENTINEL FILE PHOTO - Senator David G. Argall, R-29.
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN – State Senator David G. Argall (R-29) came under fire this week for a question he posed to a North Schuylkill elementary schooler at the first Schuylkill County Civics Bee.
The student’s paper focused on book bans and Argall asked if pornography should be allowed in schools. The student did not know what pornography was and had to ask Argall, who explained it as “naked pictures of people.”
In a statement following swift outrage on social media, Argall said “I posed a question as a volunteer judge to a participant that was not age-appropriate for this setting. I apologize to the young lady, her family, and all the participants who worked hard to get to this point, with excellent presentations by the students who submitted entries on book bans and many other important subjects.”
He said he “was attempting to ask if some books and magazines are not appropriate for some age groups, a subject which has received considerable attention in the General Assembly in recent years.”
“In hindsight, my obvious mistake was in citing an example that was itself not appropriate for this age group, a mistake which I will not make again,” Argall said.
The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce issued a statement on the matter apologizing to the student, her family, and all in attendance at the event.
“We understand the judge has apologized, and that was the right thing to do,” the Chamber said in a statement. “We regret this distracted from the hard work of the students and the recognition they deserved at this event. We do not consider the question that was asked to be appropriate.”
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