Michael Jackson on Child Welfare

By Stephen M. Silverman

Tuesday June 09, 1998 12:00 AM EDT

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Michael Jackson, 42, is set to address the debating society, the Oxford Union, at the prestigious British university on March 6, reports Reuters, which notes that the pop star is following in the footsteps of such recent previous lecturers as O.J. Simpson and Irish republican Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams. Jackson's subject is to be child welfare. Scheduled to speak with him is Jackson's reputed new mentor, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who described the precise topic of their talk as "the fine art of balancing romantic love, familial love and professional dedication." Jackson serves as chairman of the "Heal The Kids'" foundation, which is dedicated to "promoting nurturing relationships between parents and children," it says in its statement. The musician has two young children of his own, by second wife Deborah Rowe, who filed for divorce in 1999. In 1993, a 13-year-old boy sued Jackson amid claims that the singer had molested him. The lawsuit was settled out of court for a reported $15 million. Jackson, who maintained his innocence throughout the investigation, was never charged with any crime.