Fremont Sex-Ed Textbook With Topics On Bondage, Vibrators Along With Explicit Diagrams Has Parents Riled Up
FREMONT (CBS SF)— More than a 1,000 people have signed an online petition protesting the use of a controversial health education book in the Fremont Unified School District's 9th-grade curriculum.
The book, titled "Your Health Today" is almost 400 pages long and among the subject includes information on bondage, orgasms, vibrators, along with explicit drawings and diagrams.
The text also describes how to buy and use condoms and addresses masturbation, binge-drinking and shows sex organs in various stages of arousal.
"Our high-school students today need all the tools they can have to arm themselves to make the best- informed decision," said the school district's Board President, Lara Calvert-York. Teachers from the district unanimously chose the book to incorporate in classes.
Sex Ed Textbook Has Some Fremont Parents Up In Arms, Thousands Sign Petition To Have It Banned
Some parents feel the images in the book are comparable to porn.
"It's a bit much for me, I'm not comfortable with my child – I mean, wow, that's, the graphics are extreme – oh my gosh," said parent Latonya Stevenson, as she was shown some of the pages from the textbook. "They are very pornographic. The pictures are very explicit."
Students are even agreeing that the book may be going over the line.
"I don't think we really need to know about that at this age," said Judy Le, a senior at Kennedy High School. "I feel like it's more of like, adults."
Jim Morris, the Fremont Unified School District superintendent, said teachers won't be teaching about sex toys, but that overall the textbook is very good.
"Those anatomy pieces of health education are required to be taught. It's part of students' learning about their bodies," he told KPIX.
Some students said with the Internet and social media at their fingertips, kids are growing up a lot faster, so it's better to learn it early.
"Knowing high schoolers, they're probably going to find out anyway, so it's better to know from a responsible adult," said sophomore Nicholas Loya.
Read Also:
- California Could Become First To Give Free Diapers To People On Welfare
- Mom Suspected Of Dealing Pot, Meth From Her Bra
- The Most LGBT Friendly School In America Is...
Parents have the option to remove their students from the sexual education portion of the class.
Some parents have said that's not enough. Asfia Ahmed is the mother of an incoming 9th grader. She said the book is too graphic for that age group.
"I wrote to the author of the book and she said the target audience was college freshman," Ahmed said.
According to the mother, 1,200 people have signed the online petition to have the book dropped from the 9th graders' health classes.
Fremont is the only school district in California using the book.
