The Loudoun County School Board passed a policy on Tuesday that requires schools to tell parents when sexually explicit content is in classroom curriculum.
The policy, passed 7-2, requires the school to give parents a 30 day written notice before “sexually explicit” instructional materials are taught in the classroom. The Loudoun County School District came under fire in 2021 once sexually explicit books were found in school libraries, according to the Loudoun Times-Mirror. (RELATED: ‘Keep Your Politics Off My Identity’: Here’s What We Saw At Virginia Student Walkouts Over Youngkin’s Trans Policy)
Under the policy, each school in the district must post any “sexually explicit” content taught or used in the classroom on its website for parents to access. Parents can opt their students out of the instructional material and teachers are required to prepare a different lesson for that student.
The policy considers sexually explicit content to be any instructional materials that feature nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement and sadomasochistic abuse.
Debate over the policy started in September when parents within the school district voiced concerns that the policy would ban books from the school district, according to ABC 13 News.
Protesters and activists stand outside a Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) board meeting in Ashburn, Virginia on October 12, 2021. – Loudoun county school board meetings have become tense recently with parents clashing with board members over transgender issues, the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Covid-19 mandates. (Photo by Andrew CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)7
“We’re not here to ban books,” Clint Thomas, a parent within the school district told ABC 13 News. “Please hear me. I love literacy. We do feel there are certain books though. Why do we need to talk about sexual excitement, coprophilia, urophilia, fetishism? Why does that belong in the public school environment? Why can’t we talk about academics again?”
In April, Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a law mandating that schools notify parents of sexually explicit materials used in the classroom.
“It is just one more step by Governor Youngkin and his clan of politicians to attack public schools,” Andrea Weiskopf, a Loudoun County middle school English teacher, told FOX 5 in response to the vote.
Loudoun County Public Schools and Youngkin’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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