Massachusetts School District Under Federal Investigation Over Student Survey
Burlington Public Schools in Massachusetts faces a federal investigation by the DOE's Student Privacy Policy Office regarding a student survey containing sexually explicit questions on gender identity and sexual activity, sparking parental complaints.
Overview
- Parents at Burlington Public Schools in Massachusetts complained that students were reportedly forced to take a sexually explicit survey, prompting a federal investigation into the district.
- The controversial survey included questions on drug and alcohol use, sexual encounters, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexting, and experiences with sexual assault.
- The Department of Education's Student Privacy Policy Office is investigating if BPS violated parents' rights under the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA).
- Concerns arose regarding the survey's age appropriateness, especially as some students were reportedly forced to participate despite their parents having opted them out.
- The Trump administration also suggested a potential violation of parental rights, with the school district cooperating with the ongoing federal inquiry into the matter.
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FAQ
Burlington Public Schools may have violated the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), which requires parental consent for surveys that ask students sensitive information and allows parents to opt out their children.
The survey included questions about drug and alcohol use, sexual encounters, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexting, and experiences with sexual assault.
Although parents were allowed to opt their children out of the survey under PPRA, complaints allege that Burlington Public Schools administered the survey to students even if their parents had explicitly opted them out.
Many parents expressed outrage and disgust, especially because children as young as 11 were asked graphic sexual questions. They accused the school district of ignoring parental rights and called the survey inappropriate and a gross lapse in judgment.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office opened an official investigation into Burlington Public Schools to determine if the district violated parental rights by administering the survey against parents’ wishes.
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