News Trending Students of US school made to write 'sexual fantasy' assignment, parents outraged

Students of US school made to write 'sexual fantasy' assignment, parents outraged

The controversy surrounding the assignments at the Oregon high school highlights the ongoing debate over what is appropriate for schools to teach students about sex education.

Oregon high school Image Source : TWITTEROregon high school

Trending News: A high school in Oregon, US has come under criticism for an assignment given to students in a health class that required them to write a sexual fantasy. The assignment instructed students to write a short story about a sexual fantasy that included three items, such as massage oil, flavoured syrup, and feathers, without any penetration or oral sex. 

The syllabus, approved by the school district, also included an assignment called "With Whom Would You Do It?" that asked students to write the initials of a boy and a girl in the class with whom they would be willing to perform various sexual acts, including anal and oral sex, which some parents say made their children feel uncomfortable.

Parents have expressed outrage over the assignments, with some describing their children as feeling mortified, awkward, and creeped out.

Sexual fantasy assignment

The Eugene School District 4J has since removed the "sexual fantasy" assignment from the syllabus, and the district has begun the process of reviewing and selecting a new health curriculum to replace the OWL content that will be completed by the end of the school year. 

The school district said families are provided with a course syllabus at the start of each term with an option to opt their student out of some or all of the coursework. The OWL curriculum is utilized by many districts across the state and is endorsed by the Oregon Department of Education. Melanie Davis, a program manager for OWL, said in a statement that the district had been following an "unauthorized" and outdated assignment.

Some parents have criticized the school district for allowing the assignment to be approved and asked how it could have slipped through the cracks. A member of the school board, Gordon Lafer, condemned the assignment in a personal statement, saying it "should not be part of our curriculum" and that it was the responsibility of the board and district to ensure that students are not given inappropriate material.