Bed-Stuy Prep Principal Backs Down From Prom Condom Giveaway

The Principal of a Bed-Stuy high school has backed down from his controversial decision to hand out 500 condoms at the school's prom next month to stay in line with Department of Education policies.

Bedford Stuyvesant Preparatory High School's principal, Darryl Roscoe, orginally argued was intended to help curtail a growing teen pregnancy problem.

"There are several kids in our school who already have children," he said. "We're fooling ourselves if we think we can leave this up to teens to be proactive."

But the DOE pointed out the school already provides condoms through its sex-education programs and they're also made available through the nurse's office. Therefore, students can continue to go there if they need condoms.

If condoms were to be distributed at the prom, parents would first have to submit a release form, a DOE spokeswoman told the Daily News.

"I don't want to do anything against DOE policy," Roscoe told ABC's Channel 7 News.

Roscoe had coordinated with condom company NuVo to distrubute condoms as one of three events sponsored by company, which also included a safe-sex education assembly and an essay contest.

“I believe that condom distribution at a school-wide event like a prom is a good measure,” said Kavita Gupta, principal of Bed-Stuy's , which does not have a giveaway program.

“But there should be parental consent and parent involvement in making that schoolwide decision, because condom distribution is still controversial.”