A New Jersey middle school showed students a presentation and video that endorsed the use of hormone therapy as a solution to gender dysphoria, according to documents obtained by a concerned parent organization.
Middle schoolers at Pearl R. Miller Middle School in Kinnelon, New Jersey, learned about transgender rights activist Aydian Dowling during social studies class, according to a presentation unearthed by Parents Defending Education. The lesson included two videos, one that specifically endorsed Dowling’s use of hormone therapy.
A PowerPoint presentation shown to students defined words like “gender,” “sexual orientation,” and “non-binary.” The presentation was part of the school’s “Studies Of Adversity & Resilience” (SOAR) programming.
Within the first two minutes of a video reportedly shown to students, Dowling — a biological female — is seen injecting testosterone.
The superintendent of Kinnelon School District, Diane DiGiuseppe, sent an email to parents explaining that students had not seen the portion of the video wherein Dowling injected testosterone.
“The students at [Pearl R. Miller] were not shown the video of Aydian injecting himself with testosterone that has been identified in some of the media publications, podcasts, YouTube videos, and radio broadcasts regarding the SOAR assembly,” DiGiuseppe said in an email obtained by Parents Defending Education.
Some parents told Parents Defending Education that the school and the Board of Education failed to inform parents that this lesson would take place. However, parents were informed that Dowling would speak at an upcoming assembly and provided parents with an opt-out option for their children.
Erika Sanzi, the director of outreach for Parents Defending Education, called the lesson plan and video “indefensible.”
“A social studies lesson for 11 to 14 year olds about a transgender activist that includes videos that endorse cross sex hormones is simply indefensible,” Sanzi said. “It’s no wonder they didn’t alert parents or school board members ahead of time.”
Kinnelon School District did not respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.
The district claims in emails that the SOAR programming is not related to the New Jersey Department of Education’s newly passed sex education standards. (RELATED: New Jersey Gov Tries To Weasel Out Of State Regulated Sex Education Guidelines)
The updated standards drew ire from many parents as students must are now required to be able to “differentiate between sexual orientation and gender identity” by the end of fifth grade, according to the state’s newly passed sex education standards.