Middle school sexual expressions poster under review

While middle school tends to be a time of discovery, one Kansas school took that discovery too far. Mark Ellis, the father of a student at Hocker Grove Middle School in Shawnee, was surprised to learn of a poster in his daughter's class that covered a variety of sexual acts.

"It upsets me," said Ellis. "You know this had to pass through enough hands that someone should have said, 'Wait a minute, these are 13-year-old kids, we do not need to be this in-depth with this sexual education type of program,'" he continued.

After this story hit the news, the Shawnee Mission School District Superintendent, Dr. Jim Hinson, told parents that the poster and curriculum it belonged to were placed under review. Another district official stated that the poster is part of curriculum that aligns with national standards and is in use by the rest of the district.

Pacific Justice Institute now represents Mr. Ellis in this matter. PJI sent a letter to the district requesting—under state and federal law—to allow him to review the curriculum and corresponding materials.

"We are here to protect the rights of both students and parents," said Brad Dacus, President of PJI and a frequent guest on Faith On Trial. "When it comes to sexuality, we can't control what kids talk about at school. But as parents we can control what the school teaches our children from an authoritative position. This material was both inappropriate and offensive."