After Complaints From Parents, Fremont Schools Reject Controversial Sex-Ed Textbook Unless Revised
FREMONT (KPIX 5) – After complaints from parents, the Fremont Union School District said they won't be using a controversial sexual education textbook for ninth graders, unless the publisher makes revisions.
After a petition drive last week, parents voiced their anger over the "Your Health Today" textbook at Wednesday night's meeting.
"When I saw that book, I couldn't believe the topics I saw in there," said Jim Schultz, a parent.
The book has advice ranging from drinking and driving, to bondage and masturbation, which parents deem too risqué for ninth graders.
The district said "Your Health Today" was chosen because the old text did not meet state standards.
"We know now that the textbooks that have been used for the ninth grade health classes are inadequate and in fact inaccurate. If we delay implementation of this new text book, does this mean we will have inaccurate text books going home?" parent Jeffrey Spencer said at the meeting.
Opponents said the book is meant for college students, not 14-year-olds.
Publisher McGraw-Hill is offering to revise the book, free of charge to the district. "Your Health Today" won't hit the classrooms until at least the second semester.
In the meantime, the current textbook will be used with significant revisions and supplements.
It is unclear what kinds of changes would be made to "Your Health Today" before it could be used at the schools.