The parents of those attending a Massachusetts school are outraged after the institute asked their children explicit questions via an administered health survey in late March, with both parties currently in the midst of a legal battle.
On March 6, Burlington Public Schools (BPS) notified parents of their plans to administer the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey to the young students at Marshall Simonds Middle School.
The questions were made to ask children sensitive questions about alcohol, dr*g use, and gender identity, and were a part of a national initiative developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But it seems as if a line was crossed.
Parents of a Massachusetts middle school are furious following an explicit, “inappropriate” health survey
Image credits: Marshall Simonds Middle School (Not the actual photo)
Everyone was expected to fill out the survey, even those who had been opted out. On top of that, many of the questions were s*xually explicit, causing at least three parents to file federal complaints with the U.S. Department of Education.
One of the aforementioned explicit questions included asking students whether they’d had s*xual intercourse, before describing the act in detail and providing the definitions of oral and an*l s*x.
Adrianne Simeone, a Burlington mother who had tried opting her son out of the questionnaire, was horrified at the inappropriate language.
“I felt absolutely sick to think that they were asking such explicit questions to children,” she said to Fox News Digital, saying she had talked to her kids about reproduction but did not mention any of the other acts present in the survey. “I don’t think those were appropriate for minors of any age, let alone children as young as 11.”
Image credits: Fox News
Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center (MLLC), an organization that defends free speech, religious liberty, and parental rights, alleged that BPS violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendments (PPRA) — which details that K-12 schools that receive federal funding must notify parents and allow them to opt out of surveys that may include sensitive topics. The organization is also a part of the legal process, backing the parents.
“In not opting out students who had been opted out by their parents, [they] actually violated federal law,” informed Sam Whiting, who is a legal counsel for MLLC. “We’re very hopeful that the Department of Education, especially under the Trump administration, will follow through and enforce that law against the district.”
A demand letter sent to the members of the BPS School Committee by the organization also claimed that teachers had not informed students that the survey was not mandatory.
The form asked sensitive questions while giving a detailed definition of s*xual intercourse
Image credits: Fox News
This action — or the lack thereof — has encouraged more furious parents to come forward.
David Hanafin shared his view of the controversial survey to the outlet, saying he had an agreement with Superintendent Eric Conti and Assistant Superintendent Laura Chen to opt all six of his children out of surveys that touch on sensitive topics.
And yet, his 11-year-old son received the explicit questionnaire.
Image credits: Fox News
Image credits: Fox News
“We don’t send our kids to school to be indoctrinated,” he said. “We don’t send our kids to school to have these discussions. You don’t need to open their mind. You need to teach them to read, to write, math, accurate history, accurate science, and you send them home, and we’ll take care of the rest.”
Hanafin added, “My daughter’s 11 years old. She still writes her list to Santa Claus every year and she can’t wait for Santa Claus to come and bring her presents.
“And then they’re asking her questions about an*l s*x and about s*x toys and that — how anybody in their right mind could say this is in any way shape or form appropriate, or what information they’re trying to glean from it, makes no sense.”
The school has since responded to the wave of backlash.
Three parents complained to Fox News and are now in a legal battle
Image credits: Fox News
In an April 1 meeting, Superintendent Conti apologized that the opt-out policy had not been honored, saying the whole ordeal was a “mistake” and that a few of the definitions in the survey were changed and added without the consent of BPS after the Wellness Committee had reviewed them.
One member of the School Committee took the side of parents and said, “Some students knew their parents’ wishes and advocated for themselves, only to be ignored, which is totally unacceptable. This cannot happen again.
Image credits: Burlington Public Schools
“We as a committee need to revisit our policies and explore greater protections for our students and their families regarding student surveys and parental consent.”
It has since been voted unanimously that all student surveys will be suspended until a new policy is implemented and to remove all funding for JSI from the upcoming budget.
Many on social media took the sides of the parents, saying it was “sick” that the school administered the survey to such young children
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