Parents are outraged over pictures their kids saw in sex education class at Pine Valley Middle School in California.
Team 10 obtained a copy of the slideshow shown to the eighth graders. The parents say the problem is not with the information, but with the images.
One slide talks about “Top Conception Myths” and mentions douching. The photo accompanying the slide shows young men with the caption “douche bag.”
Another photo shows a man on all fours, with a woman standing on him. The caption reads “girl on top can still get pregnant.”
The photo that enraged parents the most was a slide also focused on conception myths, but showed a picture of a man with blood on his face. The caption for that picture read: “A real man loves his woman every day of the month.”
“This is horrific. This is unacceptable material,” said one parent, who did not want to be identified.
She said when her son showed her the presentation, “most of the slides [looked] okay.”
But then she saw the photos.
“That’s something you can’t unsee,” the parent of the eighth grader said. “This is definitely more than R-rated. This is X-rated.”
The presentation was organized by Mountain Empire Family Medicine, which is under the umbrella of Mountain Health.
The CEO, Judi Shaplin, sent Team 10 a statement which read in part:
“We understand and appreciate that some members of our community have voiced concern about a sex education presentation delivered by Mountain Health to Pine Valley Middle School. Our organization responded to a specific request by the Mountain Empire School District for this presentation. Mountain Health recognizes the sensitivity of such material and worked actively with the school district to assure that all information was pre-screened and approved prior to presentation. We work closely with schools in our region to help all community members stay informed on health issues. We are reviewing the content of the presentation with a special attention to the specific images that have concerned some parents.”
The superintendent of the Mountain Empire School District did not want to go on camera, but said the curriculum is approved through the Pupil Services Department.
Dr. Kathy Granger said the curriculum is “factually and medically accurate.”
Dr. Granger’s statement goes on to say : “We will continue to review materials and collaborate with Mountain Health to ensure that the instruction that is delivered is age appropriate with an emphasis on abstinence as the best way to prevent pregnancy and HIV/Aids infection.”
The district has met with several parents. One parent told Team 10 sex education was canceled Thursday at Pine Valley Middle School.
Dr. Granger said the presentation has already been “modified” for future classes. She also said comprehensive sexual health instruction is mandated by the education code and that curriculum is available for parents to view in advance.
