Who Is Teen Esteem?

Who is Teen Esteem? What they don't tell you at their website.

Linda Turnbull...Director of Teen Esteem, anti-choice activist who opposes medically safe, legal abortion and the use of contraception; launched her anti-choice career as a counselor for Valley Pregnancy Center whose mission is to make contraception and abortion unavailable; tells parents her program meets the legal requirements of the California Education code when, according to the State Dept of Education, the program in fact falls drastically short of the legal requirements. Linda stated that she refuses to refer students to agencies other than hers because "she doesn't trust them." That would include the California Dept of Public Health.

George Papageorge hold the lowest ranking degree in the field of psychology, MFT. Papageorge is a lontime supporter of Crisis Pregnancy Centers and a Teen Esteem panelist; served as Executive Editor of the Orthodox section of Christianity.com; worked for several years in teen ministry; is a featured speaker on First Resort Crisis Pregnancy Center's teen "abstinence-only-until-marriage video" (FR's program was recently removed from every single California public school) and Valley Pregnancy Center's "Teen Esteem" promotional video. Both videos tout anti-contraception/anti-abortion messages. Papageorge states that "distinctive of [his] work is the integration of theology and psychology." Papageorge withholds telling parents about his secret profession, his staunch anti-choice viewpoints and his related work with teens.


Dr. Rick Weisser...Teen Esteem panelist: featured speaker on Valley Pregnancy Center's "Teen Esteem" promotional video; makes clear that he does not believe in talking about or teaching about contraceptives. Provides medically inaccurate information about condom effectiveness and HPV.


The Teen Esteem program was ripped to shreds in the April issue of Diablo Magazine and has since lost its funding. Teen Esteem is now preying on unsuspecting East Bay families to help save their inept program. Watch for their fall newsletter which provides readers with a watered down version of what they really teach kids.


If you are opposed to dishonest, poorly trained people working with your children then write to the San Ramon Valley Unified School District and tell them to loose Teen Esteem.