SELBYVILLE, Del. - At the Indian River School District, one school board member is speaking out on the issue of teaching students about LGBT topics in a state-mandated health course. Board member Shaun Fink spoke out on the subject at a Thursday curriculum meeting.

The school board approved the use of 12 books, focusing on various subjects. Six of the textbooks will be used for the middle school classes, and the remaining six will be used by high school classes. When approving the textbooks, the school board also initiated a committee made up of parents, community members, teachers, staff and board members.

The goal of this committee, which Fink is a part of, is to make recommendations on what lessons will be involved in the district's health curriculum. It was at this meeting that Fink spoke out about lessons including terms like "gay", "homosexuality", "lesbian", and "transgender."

"Public education is a government like any other government," he said. "And as government is one to do, it has decided to take the opportunity to have kids in a building. And to use this building as laboratories for social engineering."

He continued in an interview with WBOC on Friday.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with teaching kids to respect everyone," he said. "But that doesn't mean we have to teach them to agree, to accept, or to consider normal things that the Lord say are not."

These are words that made Steve Elkins from Camp Rehoboth, a LGBT advocacy group based in the Rehoboth Beach area, worried.

"What scares me is that we're all of a sudden playing politics with the lives of our teenagers," he said.

With the prevalence of suicides amongst gay and lesbian students, Elkins said this conversation is not only appropriate, but also crucial.

"It's important to remember we're dealing with teenagers," he said. "And we need to talk to them on their level of activity. And make sure they now they're safe in a school environment of all places. To talk freely. To talk to teachers, and to talk to counselors. And to know they're going to be accepted."

Superintendent Susan Bunting said it could be months before an exact curriculum is decided on. The committee needs to offer a recommendation to the board, which can then proceed with a vote.