Alberta home-schooling association cancels appearance by stars of ’19 Kids and Counting’

EDMONTON — An Alberta home-schooling association has cancelled an appearance by a controversial reality TV couple at its annual convention next year.

Alberta Home Education Association president Paul van den Bosch says in a news release that recent feedback from members suggests the planned speeches by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar “would not be in the best interests of home educators.”

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The Duggars’ show “19 Kids and Counting” chronicled the life of the American religious couple and their home-schooled children.

But the TLC program was pulled earlier this year after revelations that their oldest child had fondled four of his sisters and a family babysitter when he was a teenager.

READ MORE: Jim Bob, Michelle Duggar open up about Josh Duggar molestation scandal

The association says its members pointed out the Duggars would have been just a small part of the convention in Red Deer next April and that their philosophy is not representative of association as a whole.

It says a previously scheduled speaker, Chris Butler of the RCMP, will still be presenting his session on preventing child abuse.