Bedford Co. Schools apologize for sex-ed material

The Bedford County School division on Tuesday sent apology letters to parents of Otter River Elementary fifth-graders who were mistakenly given pamphlets on personal hygiene that delved into sexual education.

The pamphlets were distributed as part of a lesson in fifth-grade health classes on June 2. Parents were given a chance to opt out from the presentation, Superintendent James Blevins said, but the opt-out form called it a lesson in personal hygiene and did not mention that it would include information from the Family Life curriculum, also known as sex education.

“It dealt (with) a little more than just with hygiene,” Blevins said Tuesday, explaining that after the presentation, students were given information packets to take home. “The packets also include items such as deodorant and toothpaste. This year’s came with some other material in it that (a parent) did not think was appropriate for fifth-grade students. After we looked into it, we agreed with that.”

The pamphlets were distributed only to fifth-grade students at Otter River, he said.

For the 45-minute presentation, the fifth-grade students were separated into two groups: 27 boys and 13 girls.

The group of boys watched a video and discussed changes in their bodies during puberty, such as growth, sweat glands, facial hair, and acne.

The girls focused on the menstrual cycle and feminine hygiene.

Boys and girls both were given separate sealed packets with hygiene products and pamphlets with more information. The boys’ booklet is provided by the makers of Old Spice, and the girls’ by Always feminine products. The boys’ booklet is what one parent contested, Blevins said. The last eight pages of the 22-page booklet deal with the reproductive system, including three pages that answer how and why males get erections and other related topics.

Schools spokesman Ryan Edwards said the video shown was under review Tuesday night and that he believed the actual presentation did not include sex-ed materials.

“To my knowledge, our faculty followed the guidelines (for the presentation), and left that age-sensitive material out as we had instructed them to do,” Edwards said. “Where we got our wires crossed was bringing in the packets, and thinking that the material would be suitable for fifth-grade children. We are well aware now that it wasn’t.”

Parents of one of the boys sent letters to school officials saying they would have opted their child out of the class if they had known any of it covered sex-ed topics.

The letter also came up during Monday’s Bedford County Board of Supervisors meeting.

“If it had been my son, I would have been knocking on someone’s door,” Supervisor John Sharp said at the meeting.

Don Toms, instructional consultant for the school division, said this year’s sealed packets changed from those handed out in previous years. Teachers did not open the materials to check the contents of what was sent home.

“We just basically trusted them not to change (the material),” Toms said.

The apology letter sent to parents Tuesday by Otter River Principal Georgia Hairston states that the new pamphlets will be removed from packets before distribution in future years.

“Nurses and physical education staff have been reminded of the need to preview any written information that is distributed to students in the future,” the letter states. Hygiene-related videos also will be reviewed, it states.

The letter also states that some information went “beyond the concept of hygiene.”

“I apologize if some of the material may have been offensive or uncomfortable to your child,” it states. “The staff and I respect the right of our parents to address topics that may be more suitable to discuss at home.”

Blevins added that concerned parents would be invited to speak with school officials or view the materials.

Family Life curriculum starts in the sixth grade, Blevins said, but parents can opt out their children.

Sharp suggested at the meeting Monday that the letter be sent to disclose what had happened. Blevins said he had already planned to do so.“Not all children will share that information (with their parents),” Sharp said in an interview Tuesday.

He said he had only heard from one set of upset parents, but that “there will probably be many more outraged parents,” after the letter was sent.

Board of Supervisors Chairman Steve Arrington said the parents who wrote the letter “were quite shocked and dismayed. They thought the material was very inappropriate, and it was.”

He said he felt the actions of the school division to remedy the situation were appropriate.

“It’s done now, and there’s not much that can be done to undo that,” he said.

Sharp agreed.

“As long as we try to take steps to minimize the damage, then I think that’s the best we can hope for,” he said. “The key to that is making sure that the parents are fully aware so that they can address it also.”