Doctor, nurse decry 'pact' film

Lifetime Television is about to launch a movie about a purported teenage pregnancy pact — based in part, the network says, on "news reports" like the international media blitz that swamped Gloucester over precisely that type of story in June 2008.

But two central figures in the saga of Gloucester's pregnancy spike — the former medical staff at the Gloucester High School health clinic — reiterated yesterday that the idea there was a GHS "pregnancy pact" is not true, and never was.

"Viewers shouldn't take the movie as reflective of something that happened in Gloucester," said Dr. Brian Orr, the school clinic's former clinic medical director. "The only true story was there was a false story about a teen pregnancy pact."

A press release from Lifetime stated that the film, which airs Jan. 23, is the story of a fictional "pregnancy pact" set against the backdrop of actual news reports about teen pregnancy from June 2008.

"The actions portrayed do not depict actual events," the Lifetime statement indicates.

But the news of Gloucester's teenage pregnancy spike first drew attention in March 2008, when the Times reported the school was grappling with 10 pregnancies, and then-principal Joseph Sullivan said he was concerned that a "clique" of girls were trying to get pregnant.

The issue drew wider attention in late May, when both Dr. Orr and Kim Daly, the primary nurse practitioner, resigned — citing a lack of support from Northeast Health officials regarding the need for a comprehensive contraception effort as part of the school-based clinic.

By then, there were 17 pregnant teens, 14 reportedly diagnosed at the clinic and three who were diagnosed at Cape Ann Pediatricians.

In early June, Time magazine sent a reporter to Gloucester, and reported Sullivan had spoken of an alleged "pact" among students to get pregnant. Sullivan, who resigned in August 2008, said he never recalled using the term "pact." But the Time report blew into a global media firestorm. In all, there were 18 reported pregnancies during the school year.

Lifetime's "The Pregnancy Pact" film will make its Jan. 23 debut at a time when nearly three in 10 teenage girls in the United States will become pregnant, according to the film company, which incorporated a public service component with this production. Lifetime has received a range of awards for its public service from a women's broadcasting organization to the White House.

The movie features Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Camryn Manheim (Ghost Whisperer, The Practice), Nancy Travis (The Bill Engvall Show, Becker) and Golden Globe-nominee Thora Birch (Ghost World, American Beauty).

According to Lifetime, the synopsis is as follows:

Sidney Bloom (Birch), an online magazine journalist, returns to her hometown to investigate the sudden spike in teenage pregnancies at her old high school. Almost immediately, she comes up against Lorraine Dougan (Travis), the head of the local conservative values group and mother of Sara, a newly pregnant 15-year-old.

Meanwhile, the school nurse (Manheim) tries to convince the school to provide contraception to students to address the pregnancy epidemic but is met with great opposition from the school and community. As the number of pregnant girls climbs to 18, a media firestorm erupts when Time reports that the rise in the number of pregnancies at the school is the result of a "pregnancy pact."

Both Orr and Daly, whose role is essentially portrayed by Manheim in the television film, said they were never contacted by the filmmakers or by Lifetime, and were unaware it was in the works until recently.

Now, they're concerned that viewers will confuse the fictional film with the Gloucester saga.

"Basically it says it's based on a true story — but there is no pact, so where is the truth in that story?" Daly said yesterday.

"I'm concerned they are going to cover what appeared in Time magazine and other media, which was mostly fictional," she added. "I was at the heart of it and the only truth in the stories is that we had pregnant girls and heated debate about birth control."

Daly noted that, at the time of the story, there was never birth control prescribed at the high school health clinic. But in the wake of the pregnancy brouhaha, school officials did approve birth control at the high school health clinic with parental consent.

"The movie is disconcerting to me because I don't know what the school nurse will be doing in the film," she said. "People asked me if I was going to be in it and then to find out the main character is playing me. It's very strange.

"I've watched Lifetime movies and they can be cheesy, and now the worst six months of my life are portrayed in the movie — it's surreal," Daly added.

"If they want to make their movie and they feel they are trying to bring teen pregnancy to the forefront to provoke discussion, then that could be a positive outcome. (But) I'm not looking forward to the next media onslaught."

Orr takes offense that Lifetime would portray the issue as it has, given that, despite disclaimers, it parallels the Gloucester case.

"I'm disgusted that any media group would take advantage of this false story," he said. "My only concern (now) is, we are already getting calls from the media — and it will put a spotlight on Gloucester and these teens based on a false story."

Schools Superintendent Christopher Farmer reiterated yesterday that he conducted a "thorough investigation" and found no evidence of a pact.

"We've moved on," he said.

Orr, who has worked in teen clinics for nearly 20 years, recalled that, on a day both he and Daly made statements to the New York Times that there was no pact, Mayor Carolyn Kirk held a press conference that drew live TV and global media coverage.

"Our statement got buried," Orr said. "We are the only ones who know, who've taken care of these kids prenatally and postnatally."

Orr said he's still offended by the way the initial story played out on the global stage.

"This was something conjured up between these two people, a (Time) reporter late in the game and a poor source (Sullivan), and it goes worldwide and the story goes ballistic," Orr said.

"It's such an outrage against Gloucester."

Gail McCarthy can be reached at 978-283-7000, x3445, or via e-mail at gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.

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