Slog
News & ArtsMonday, October 5, 2009
Religion Abstinence Educator Watch
Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Oct 5, 2009 at 11:28 AM
Tobias Lyons, the smirking piece of shit in the mugshot above, was arrested Friday in Fort Smith, Arkansas, and charged with sexual indecency with a child. Lyons isn't a youth pastor, so he didn't qualify for this morning's installment of YPW. Nope, Lyons is an abstinence educator.
Fort Smith Police Sgt. Levi Risley says that 25-year-old Tobias Patrick Lyons was arrested Friday after he allegedly asked a 14-year-old girl for sex. Risley says Lyons previously worked with Reality Check, an organization that makes abstinence presentations in area schools. The Reality Check office in Fort Smith confirmed Lyons had worked there, but declined further comment.
What's with the past tense there, A.P.? Lyons met both of the girls he's accused of treating indecently while he was employed by Reality Check. He doesn't work there now—he's been fired—but he was working there then. This TV news report gets it right...
When his daughter started attending a program at her school to help promote abstinence from sex, drugs and alcohol, he went to the first session with her. He toured the facility and met the staff, including Tobias Lyons. Then, he found out the same man he trusted was asking his 14 year old daughter for sex.
According to Reality Check's website—currently yanked—Reality Check is an "abstinence education program operated by Tree of Life Preventive Health Maintenance, Inc." According to Tree of Life's website—also yanked—Tree of Life is, "a Christian organization that promotes healthy living in our community." Lyons met both the girls he's accused of getting indecent with while teaching at a public school in Fort Smith. Your tax dollars at work.
4
I don't think we should warn children about the consequences of any of their actions.
When they get into 6th grade, just hand them a list of the things that make Jesus cry:
Sex
Mixing random chemicals in chem lab
Drugs
Texting while driving
Not respecting their parents
Homosexuality (It's not just sex, it's an agenda.)
Credit card debt
Eating undercooked food
...
They'll all turn out great.
When they get into 6th grade, just hand them a list of the things that make Jesus cry:
Sex
Mixing random chemicals in chem lab
Drugs
Texting while driving
Not respecting their parents
Homosexuality (It's not just sex, it's an agenda.)
Credit card debt
Eating undercooked food
...
They'll all turn out great.
6
It's like the Celibacy Club in "Glee" gone horribly wrong.
I rather doubt this fella will enjoy his first weeks in prison one little bit.
I rather doubt this fella will enjoy his first weeks in prison one little bit.
8
Those who value blind faith over critical thinking are easy pickings for predators of all stripes.
9
The assumption that one person is representative of the Abstinence movement is silly. This was a bad apple...treat it as such and move along.
10
@9- The abstinence movement IS in and of itself a bad apple. It does nothing to prevent teen sexual activity. It increases pregnancy, STD infection, and self-loathing. This guy isn't a bad apple, he's a poster child.
15
Maybe Dan should switch from Youth Pastors to Abstinence Educators. Get a portfolio of AE pedophiles and use it to attack Abstinence funding like the pimp-and-ho attacked ACORN funding.
18
Why is "separation of church and state" such a difficult concept for so many? Why would a school allow a christian-allied organizaton ("Tree of Life"?!?!?) in? I know schools need help and there are all sorts of organizations that want to do so - ad a lot of opposition to Planned Parenthood, but Tree of Life? Really? No confusion there as to their purpose, is there?
20
If this kid had just directed some critically-acclaimed movies, I'm sure this would be fine. Right, Scorcese? Right, David Lynch?
21
This guy taught abstinence at my school last year. He seemed pretty cool, but I guess I was wrong. That's just gross and wrong to do something like that.
22
Much as I'm a proponent of non-violence, the smirk on that grub's face is really testing my principles...
@20 - exactly, although at least Lyons asked the girl for sex. Polanski didn't ask.
@20 - exactly, although at least Lyons asked the girl for sex. Polanski didn't ask.
27
Just because you don't agree with abstinence programs doesn't mean that this jerk is the "poster child" for them, any more than Pol Pot is the poster child for Cambodia. There are legitimate concerns about abstinence programs, but demonizing them ("anyone who thinks they work is stupid and just like that guy!") is ignorant and ends a discussion that could actually lead to positive change.
29
@27 In addition to citing a source that shows abstinence programs work, maybe you can explain why organizations like "Tree of Life" should be given taxpayer dollars so scumbags like this guy can go and preach in public schools. Whether he's a poster child for abstinence programs or not, he was working for a religious organization. And religious organizations get enough taxpayer money by being tax-exempt without also getting money that should be going to real education programs.
30
@28 & @29 I said there are legitimate concerns . . . in other words, I don't believe they do work. My point was that by demonizing and labeling proponents of the opposing point of view, you sacrifice your opportunity to have them hear your point of view. The fact that you are right is meaningless if everyone tunes you out. Sorry about the tax dollar thing. I wasn't in charge of that.
32
More on the tax dollar thing: Frankly, if abstinence programs saved kids from early pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases and the emotional wear and tear of too-early sexual activity, I wouldn't care what organization ran them (within reason), as long as I knew that the content stayed on topic. Unfortunately, the programs don't work.
33
I went to elementary school and junior high with Toby. I have been in complete shock since I heard this sad news. The organization that he worked for is a good one, with good intentions, but obviously the wrong person worked for them. It truly saddens me for the girls, the girls families, the employees for the organization, and those that know Toby. About this organization.....it works, it has worked and hopefully will be able to be revitalized after this horrific event. He needs prayer, so for those that do believe in Christ, please pray.
34
icame into shokc wen iheard about this .every year in my junior high school years he would go && teach us very important things .its hard to believe that he would do such a thing .he seemd lyk a realy kewl guy && he seemd above all of that .ikno alot of tha gurls at my skewl had crushes on him buh he neva leht that affect him or his job .he obvously doesn't care wah his students && past students feel about him now .we lookd up to this nice ,cool ,funny guy .buh now we jux look down on him && alls he kan do is have a big smirk on his face .it is very disturbing .
35
Italy . . . please tell me you were writing like that on purpose. Otherwise you have much larger problems in your school than lack of abstinence.
36
Tobias Lyons is a contemporary incarnation of the Young Traveling Bible Salesman stereotype that plagued the deep south for generations, prey on (or being preyed upon) by countless farmer's daughters. Tar, feathers and shotgun weddings are all part of this trope.
Toby's latest 14 year-old conquest was most likely far from his first.
Keena aka Owner of 2 well-behaved and very cute dogs @32, amongst the notable faults of the Abstenance Only Sex Education programs out there is that they do not stay on topic going as far as outright evangelizing in public schools, though amongst their notorious trespasses is the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.
No wonder feminists lack humor these days.
Toby's latest 14 year-old conquest was most likely far from his first.
Keena aka Owner of 2 well-behaved and very cute dogs @32, amongst the notable faults of the Abstenance Only Sex Education programs out there is that they do not stay on topic going as far as outright evangelizing in public schools, though amongst their notorious trespasses is the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.
No wonder feminists lack humor these days.
37
that is not his mug shot. its a photo chosen to make the man look even more stupid. Not commenting on what the guy did, just saying the photo was chosen to make you think that he is smirking at what he did. I am guessing that this is not the case. I am guessing that the guy knows exactly that he is in deep doo doo.
Oh, something else, there are two sides to every story. And I am guessing that you have no desire to hear the other side. Again, not defending the guy, just an honest comment on the comments here. Maybe we should let this guy have his day in court. But that isn't nearly as much fun then is it?
Oh, something else, there are two sides to every story. And I am guessing that you have no desire to hear the other side. Again, not defending the guy, just an honest comment on the comments here. Maybe we should let this guy have his day in court. But that isn't nearly as much fun then is it?
38
I agree with you, trudy @37, but as I'm not arbitrating on his smirkiness' case, I'm content to be only half informed until new developments arise. Still, I'm not exactly sure how his propositioning at 14-year-old can prove to be innocent unless a) she's lying to intentionally incriminate him, or b) it's all a big misunderstanding. Both scenarios are possible, though less likely than what it appears to be.
The whole point of SLOG threads such as this remains the same: religion does not reduce crime nor is it an impartial source of ethics (i.e a graven image doesn't really constitute a crime against humanity or society). Converting someone to a religion doesn't make them more wholesome or less inclined towards criminal activity. These provide examples of the hoisted paragons of our society that have fallen from grace, and demonstrated this truth.
The whole point of SLOG threads such as this remains the same: religion does not reduce crime nor is it an impartial source of ethics (i.e a graven image doesn't really constitute a crime against humanity or society). Converting someone to a religion doesn't make them more wholesome or less inclined towards criminal activity. These provide examples of the hoisted paragons of our society that have fallen from grace, and demonstrated this truth.
39
i sure hope the girl who accused him didn't try to kill herself a week before and then came back to school laughing about it. i also hope she wasn't in a relationship with a nineteen year old last year. i mean, just saying.
40
I've just started reading up on this story and I think trudy has a very valid point. Has anyone commenting on this seen a 14 year old girl these days? They are having sex much earlier than that nowadays. You never know, this poor guy could have been seduced by this girl, and she's trying to cover it up because her daddy found out.
41
@37 you are absolutely right. you never know both sides to the story. this is absolutely not his mugshot. it isn't even really recent. although i absolutely agree with @40- girls today are having sex very young, and they are absolutely inappropriate most of the time. i'm almost positive that this girl was no innocent in this, but the point is- she's 14 years old. if we don't look out for kids- and she is a kid- who will.
toby is a friend of mine, and what he did is wrong. i'm sure he knows how wrong he was. sadly, he's learning the hard way. even so, he is still my friend, and i will forgive him in time for what he's done. as should the rest of the world.
toby is a friend of mine, and what he did is wrong. i'm sure he knows how wrong he was. sadly, he's learning the hard way. even so, he is still my friend, and i will forgive him in time for what he's done. as should the rest of the world.
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