Eighth Grade Herpes, Booze, Sex Assignment Lands New Jersey School In Hot Water
A middle school in New Jersey is feeling the heat after an eighth-grade assignment, asking students to write about contracting herpes from a one-night stand, was deemed too sexually explicit by at least one parent.
Imagine asking your child what kind of homework they have and getting this response: Our eighth-grade language teacher asked us to write a “reactive response” to a given situation.
The problem, according to Fox News, is the situation the language teacher presented to the eighth graders was what would happen if they went to a party, got drunk, had sex with a stranger, and then contracted herpes. Do eighth graders even know what herpes is?
One of the parents bringing the questionable eighth grade assignment to light is Amy Loper, who was shocked to find out her 13-year-old son had homework that asked about subjects most kids his age know little about.
“It’s insane. There is no reason whatsoever to discuss that kind of stuff with a kid. It’s not sex education class. It’s language arts.”
When Loper called the school (several times, according to the report) and was finally able to get an answer, she was even more surprised when she was told the assignment is part of the Core Curriculum. The eighth-grade students in that class are using the textbook The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.
This is how the disturbing eighth-grade assignment was presented to unsuspecting students in the language class.
“You had a really rotten day, but lucky for you your best friend is having an awesome party later. You go to the party and start drinking. You have a little too much to drink and start talking to this girl/guy you’ve never seen before. You head upstairs to better acquainted despite several friends telling you that you don’t even know this person. You end up having sex with this person. The next day you really can’t remember everything that happened and rely on your best friend to fill you in. A week later you find out that you contracted herpes from your one night stand and that this is a disease you will have all your life and never known when an outbreak will occur.”
Loper argues that this is not a sexual education class, and the explicit assignment is not appropriate. After contacting the language teacher at the Myron L. Powell Elementary School in Cedarville and not getting the answers she was expecting, the concerned mom contacted the schools superintendent.
“The superintendent told me that we could opt out of the sex education class. But that’s not the point. It’s not the school’s job to make these points to the kids…
“Society is in such a downward spiral and everyone is willing to go along on the ride instead of trying to bring up their kids and actually parent.”
According to WPG Talk Radio 1450 AM, the textbook written by Sean Covey is a step-by-step guide to help teens improve self-image, build friendships, resist peer pressure, achieve their goals, get along with their parents, and much more. The description on Amazon also presents the book as one full of cartoons, fun ideas, and stories from teens from all over the world.
As expected, the story is picking up steam on social media, and people on both sides of the issue are voicing their opinions. The Inquisitr has reached out to Myron J. Powell School and will update this article with a response to the eighth-grade assignment if one is made available.
Do you think an eighth-grade assignment asking about one night stands, herpes, and getting drunk is appropriate for this age?
[Image via Shutterstock]
