TRI In The News

Massachusetts School Sparks Outrage for Surveying 7th Graders on Oral Sex

6/16/2011

TRI IN THE NEWS: MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL SPARKS OUTRAGE FOR SURVEYING 7TH GRADERS ON ORAL SEX

From Herald Sun
Original article available here.

A MIDDLE school in Massachusetts is under fire for requiring children to complete a graphic sex survey without parental knowledge or consent, FOXNews.com said today.

The survey - which included questions about sexual behaviour such as oral sex - deeply disturbed students at Memorial Middle School, said John Whitehead from civil liberties organisation The Rutherford Institute.

"One of the questions is, 'have you ever had oral sex?'" Mr Whitehead said. "You're talking about kids who probably don't even know what oral sex is."

He said the survey also delved into even more graphic language.

"It's adult material," he told FOX News Radio, noting that one question asked students what method they used to prevent pregnancy during their last sexual encounter.

The institute has filed a complaint with the US Department of Education against the Fitchburg School Committee, on behalf of a parent with two daughters at the school.

The students were told they were completing a youth risk behaviour study.

Principal Fran Thomas told FOX News Radio that the school has nothing to do with the content and they were required to administer the survey to fulfill a federal grant requirement administered by LUK Inc, a local social services agency, in coordination with the Centres for Disease Control.

"I can take no responsibility for what's on that survey," Ms Thomas said. "It's not generated by the school system."