graphic sex ed class under fire

[Amby 490]

Parents are outraged after young teenagers were instructed on graphic sexual acts during a Planned Parenthood sex education class at the local high school in Shenandoah, Iowa.

“It was horribly inappropriate,” Colleen Dostal told Fox News Radio. “To do that in a mixed-gender classroom, — I truly believe it was inappropriate.”

Dostal’s 14-year-old son was one of a handful of eighth graders in the class. The students, she said, were given instruction on how to perform female exams and the instructor used a 3-D, anatomically correct male sex organ to explain how to use a condom.

But Dostal said she was most upset over the instructor simulating sexual acts using stuffed animals designed to resemble STD’s.

“I do not understand why any adult with a classroom of children would show them sexual positions,” she told Fox News Radio. “I think that’s horribly inappropriate.”

As for the photographs, “I believe some of those photos were pornographic,” she said.

“Had we known this was going on, I would have sat in the classroom or I would have pulled him out,” Dostal said.

She took her concerns to the principal, who Dostal said was “mortified.” The principal apologized but several other parents decided to take the issue to the school superintendent.

“I understand it’s a state law that sex education be taught but it is also state mandated that parents be told that this is going to happen and we were not told.”

Superintendent ####### Profit told the World Herald he received an equal number of calls supporting and opposing the Planned Parenthood presentation.

“It’s a political hot potato; it’s a religious hot potato; it’s a parental hot potato,” he told the newspaper. “It’s all of these things that cause a crack in the system between society, parents and schools, and we’re still required to do it.”

Planned Parenthood’s Jennifer Horner defended the class and said some of the material had been turned around.

"We are not trying to keep any of this a secret,” Horner told the newspaper. “All information we use is medically accurate and science based.”

Profit said next year parents and guardians will receive advanced warning about the class.

But that may not satisfy parents like Scott Gray, whose 16-year-old son was in the class.

“As far as we were concerned, it wasn’t sex ed, it was sex demonstration,” he told the World Herald.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/06/22/graphic-sex-ed-class/?test=latestnews

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Oh boo fvkcing hoo

[Niels Bohr 72]

Anatomically correct #######? So, if the ####### is not anatomically correct then this wouldn't be a problem.

[Amby 490]

Anatomically correct #######? So, if the ####### is not anatomically correct then this wouldn't be a problem.

they should use a banana

[GabiandVi 34]

Anatomically correct #######? So, if the ####### is not anatomically correct then this wouldn't be a problem.

I think the exact words were "anatomically correct male sex organ," as opposed, I'm sure, to a headless ####### or a banana (as my colleague once used to teach the boys at our school how to use a condom.)

I don't think I can insert pictures of the "anatomically correct" and anatomically incorrect dildos, but do a google image search and you'll see there is a range of items that could have been used.

Personally, I don't have a problem with using an "anatomically correct" one, but surely the classes should have been segregated before such a course was taught. And I might change my mind once my daughter approaches the age of these students. She might still be rather innocent and I might prefer to teach her myself. It's hard for me to imagine any high-school child who does not have first hand knowledge of all of this and who couldn't teach the teacher a thing or two, but every now and then I meet a child who is polar opposite to my students so there might actually be some children out there this would shock.

[john & jean 37]

foreskin intact, or not???

what is correct

[evli1966 88]

Oh boo fvkcing hoo

Yup

I wonder if they were told in the form of notice sent home and those particular parents are the same ones that never read any literature from the school.

Edited June 23, 2010 by evli1966

[Fandango 1,439]

"Had we known this was going on, I would have sat in the classroom or I would have pulled him out," Dostal said.

lolz

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I think there's more to this than what Fox News is reporting. Iowa was spending 1.5 million a year of Federal money on abstinence-only sex education classes until about 3 years ago, when the state adopted a more common sense approach.

Iowa Sexuality Education Law and Policy

Iowa mandates that health education be taught in kindergarten through twelfth grade. Iowa law details what must be included in health education by grade. In first through sixth grade, "the health curriculum shall include the characteristics of communicable diseases including acquired immune deficiency syndrome [AIDS]." In seventh and eighth grade, health education must "include the characteristics of sexually transmitted disease and acquired immune deficiency syndrome." In ninth through twelfth grade, (students must take health education at least once during these four grades), health education must include information on "the prevention and control of disease, including sexually transmitted diseases [sTDs] and acquired immune deficiency syndrome." Additionally, health curricula must include information about Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the HPV vaccine. Iowa law mandates that the curricula use materials that are up-to-date, age-appropriate, and research-based/medically accurate; furthermore, all information must be free of biases based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender. School districts may teach age-appropriate, science-based, comprehensive sexuality education as part of the health curriculum, but may also use abstinence-only materials so long as those materials fall within the parameters of the law.

Parents or guardians may remove their children from any part of health education courses if the course conflicts with the student's religious beliefs. This is referred to as an "opt-out" policy.

See Iowa Code 279.50, 256.11, m and Iowa Administrative Code 281-12.5 and House File 611.

http://www.ncsse.com...&stopRedirect=1

Good for Iowa.

[KaiserD 12]

lol How about we do our job as parents and do it ourselves instead of criticizing schools that probably have tightly packed curriculum schedules as it is. If we tell our children the important information then we know they know, surely that piece of mind is more important than the awkwardness we will inevitably get.

Honestly all the sex used in the media and the web that you have to try not to look for porn half the time, we are kidding ourselves if we think young people today don't know about sex or don't already already have access to information about their curiosities. We need to make sure all the gaps are filled in.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209383/Fathers-outrage-pornographic-Haribo-MAOAM-sweet-wrappers.html

[slim 1,514]

So let me get this straight... this mom is upset because her son is sitting through sex ed with girls in his class yet she thinks sitting through it with him is going to be better? Yeah, that's just what every 14-year-old boy wants. "Hey mom, uh, this isn't uncomfortable or embarassing enough. Why don't you come and sit next to me tomorrow."

This is only a problem because it's in Podunk, Iowa. In most places other than Podunk, parents realize sex ed is for boys and girls and there's really no need to separate them because, well, they're going to have sex with each other.

If only parents would get so upset over the appalling math and science classes kids take...

[Fandango 1,439]

It is not school's responsibility to teach sex ed, that is a parent's job!

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I think a lot of parents would prefer that the school does it, rather than have that conversation themselves. At least that way everyone has the same level of knowledge.

[Fandango 1,439]

I think a lot of parents would prefer that the school does it, rather than have that conversation themselves. At least that way everyone has the same level of knowledge.

School should be reserved for the basics, math, reading, etc. If I was a parent of someone in this class, I'd be pissed that it was done without my advance notice AND permission.

[slim 1,514]

It is not school's responsibility to teach sex ed, that is a parent's job!

Actually, it is their responsibility. It's the law.