Education Department investigating survey given to Massachusetts students

Education officials have opened an investigation into Burlington Public Schools in northeastern Massachusetts for possible parental rights violations, according to a Monday statement from the Department of Education. The district allegedly failed to comply with parental requests to have students exempted from receiving a youth risk behavior survey some parents found to be explicit, according to the DOE.

The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment is a federal protection allowing parents to excuse their children from participating in school questionnaires that ask for sensitive or private information, the release noted. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon described the survey in question as graphic and downright inappropriate. The department will thoroughly investigate these unconscionable allegations and defend parental rights, she said.

What did the survey ask? The DOE shared images of the survey, which included questions about students’ sexual attractions and describing various gender identities. The survey explicitly described various sex acts before asking children if they had performed any of the acts described. Students were asked whether they had either sent or received sexual messages or nude photos, and when they first drank alcohol outside of a religious context. The questionnaire also asked if students used tobacco products and what types of flavors they preferred.

Who received the survey? Students of Marshall Simonds Middle School and Burlington High School received the survey that teachers purported as mandatory for students, according to a letter from Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center Counsel Sam Whiting. The public interest law group represented concerned parents and threatened legal action against the district unless those responsible were held accountable. The letter suggested that the district’s actions may not have been accidental, alleging that administrators regularly pushed controversial sexual, racial, and political ideologies on students.