[ad_1]
A Massachusetts public school district is under investigation over a recent survey that touched on sensitive issues like sexual encounters, gender identity and drug and alcohol use, the U.S. Department of Education announced Monday.
Burlington Public Schools has been accused of not letting parents opt their kids out of the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and other surveys, according to the agency, which said its Student Privacy Policy Office has begun investigating whether there was a violation of the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, which lets parents keep children from taking part in surveys or questionnaires about sensitive or private information.
“Parents must be the primary decision-makers in their children’s education. The allegations that Burlington violated parents’ rights by administering a survey against parents’ wishes – and particularly one that is graphic, and downright inappropriate in nature – is unconscionable,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “The Department will investigate this matter thoroughly and continue to resolutely defend parents’ rights.”
NBC10 Boston has reached out to the district for comment on the investigation. In a statement posted on its website, it has previously acknowledged “areas for improvement” in how the survey was administered, “particularly in the opt-out process and delivery of the proctor script.”
The district has committed to an outside review of how the survey was administered and implementing its recommendations, as well as sharing information on what happened with the district’s wellness committee.
The advocacy group Massachusetts Family Institute said that its Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center filed the complaints that launched the investigation into what it called “a grotesque sexually explicit survey” that covered “students’ sexual history, drug use, self-harm, and other sensitive topics, and described sex acts.” The organizations aid it anticipated that the investigation will lead to a mandate for “swift corrective action” at the school district.
In its statement, the district called the survey, which it’s been administering since 2011, “a key tool for understanding student health and wellness needs.” It also acknowledged “the importance of clear communication with families regarding student participation in surveys of this nature.”
The Massachusetts Republican Party highlighted the complaints earlier this month in a podcast it runs.
[ad_2]
Asher Klein
Source link