Massachusetts parents, students fight for answers after highly graphic survey on sex, gender

Parents and students in a Massachusetts town say they continue to feel blindsided betrayed and appalled after their local school district sent out a highly graphic survey about sexual and gender activity Burlington Community Schools has administered a so-called youth threat behavior survey to middle- and high school students since This year s assessment prompted a handful of parents to file federal complaints claiming the district violated their rights by giving the questionnaire to their kids against their wishes Students at Marshall Simonds Middle School and Burlington High School received a new version of the survey in March answering questions related to sexual intercourse sexual orientation gender identity sexting experiences with sexual assault alcohol use and other topics Students whose parents had opted them out were still required to take the survey leading to outraged parents filing complaints with the feds Burlington father John Lyons says such topics have no place in schools and is calling the School Committee out for describing the administration of the survey as a mistake This was a gross lapse in judgment Lyons stated Tuesday night a fundamental breach of trust and a failure to uphold the bulk basic responsibility that falls on this administration To protect the children in our school system What s even more alarming is the lack of accountability that has followed he added No one has stood up and accepted the responsibility Lyons comments came at the beginning of a School Committee meeting that drew a packed crowd of frustrated parents and students including a seventh-grader who called the debacle disgusting and purely vile Committee Chairwoman Melissa Massardo read from a declaration she revealed was prepared by school counsel highlighting how the school district has hired an independent consultant and investigator to review this year s survey Despite these pending issues Massardo commented the school administration did in recent weeks send all parents acknowledging that errors and mistakes occurred and that we recognize the critical importance of having clear communication with families especially regarding parents and students rights to opt out of such surveys In a memo on the district website on the administration of the survey leaders state they acknowledge there were areas for improvement particularly in the opt-out process and delivery of the proctor script But parents are not taking the apology seriously Quite honestly we re sick of hearing that noted Keri Malm a mother of two children in the district District leaders have also shared that they have backed out of a contract with John Snow Inc a population robustness research firm using validated survey questions from the CDC and other national instruments Representatives have commented the survey helps inform decision making guiding curriculum design staffing participant services and locality partnerships The Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center submitted the complaints earlier this month to the Department of Guidance s Apprentice Privacy Program Office on behalf of parents whose children were forced to take the survey after their opt-out requests Parent David Hanafin is one of those parents He wrote an email to district agents after his middle-school child was required to take the survey even though he had opted out The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment gives parents a chance to opt their children out of participating in surveys Christine Scola whose children went through the town s schools which her grandchildren may attend explained students and families are being blatantly disrespected It s convenient to gaslight parents who are upset and call them hateful because they are angry but people have the right to be angry she noted and what we hate is the school system using diversity and equity as a means to highlight the beliefs of specific while devaluing the beliefs of others One question specifically required Sexual intercourse includes vaginal sex which is when a penis goes inside of a vagina oral sex which is contact between the mouth and genitals anal sex which is when the penis goes inside an anus butt and use of toys or props vaginal or anal Have you ever had sexual intercourse Angela Simoni attended eighth grade at Simonds Middle School last year She commented she has little confidence that the surveys will reflect students thoughts and experiences Asking students questions about anal sex and sex toys they just think it s funny she noted They re like Oh hahaha Jeff Amy Associated Press fileA sign stands at an entrance to the main campus of the Center for Syndrome Control and Prevention in Atlanta Georgia AP Photo Jeff Amy File