JOHN LEO'S BLOG

One reason the ordinance passed is that a l6-year-old was raped in one park, and in another, several children were molested by a sex offender whose home overlooked the park. Also, one of the parks is adjacent to a school and is regularly used by children during recess. Many communities have passed laws prohibiting sexual predators from coming within 1,000 feet of a school or playground.

The ACLU of North Carolina thinks sex offenders have a right to hang out in a park used by children during school time and after. It filed suit against the town on behalf of a registered offender, convicted of sexual assault with a handgun.

Once again the ACLU has gone way too far. It's reasonable to demand tighter language than Woodfin seems to have used. Many "registered sex offenders" are teenagers who had consensual sex with underage partners almost their own age. Others have committed offenses involving adults and show no sign of attraction to children. But communities surely have the right to keep known sex predators from places where the very young gather and play.

If the ACLU thinks the language is too broad, why doesn't it tell the town what changes it believes would make the law acceptable? The answer, apparently, is that the ACLU doesn't want to become involved, except as a litigator against the community. Last year, after the ACLUNC threatened a similar suit in Garner, N.C., an alderman offered Jennifer Rudinger, executive director of the group, a chance to help draft an ordinance it could live with. Rudinger said no.