DeKalb GA News

Public school students in Burlington, Massachusetts, were recently given a survey that included questions about sexual activity, leading to discontent among some parents. The survey was administered to both high school students and middle school students, some as young as 11 years old. According to parents, they were informed that they could opt their children out of participating in the survey, yet it was distributed to all students regardless.

As reported by the Boston Herald, some parents who had opted their kids out were "livid" when the survey was still given to their children. Complaints have been filed with the U.S. Department of Education by Burlington parents, claiming that the district's actions violated the "Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment" by distributing the questionnaire against their desires.

The survey, distributed last month, contained questions regarding sexual intercourse, sexual orientation, gender identity, sexting, experiences with sexual assault, alcohol use, and other sensitive topics. One of the questions included in the survey aimed at middle and high school students asked if they had engaged in sexual intercourse, detailing various types of sexual activities.

A concerned parent, David Hanafin, expressed his disapproval in an email to district officials after his middle-school child was required to complete the survey. "Asking an 11-year-old kid questions about anal or oral sex is disgusting," Hanafin wrote. "There is no benefit to this… I was assured that my kids were opted out of these exercises for good."

The incident has sparked further conversation about whether such questions are appropriate for students at these ages and why the school would require such information. The controversy has led parents to closely monitor educational surveys being distributed to their children in the Burlington district.