Sex Ed Debate: Hinsdale D-86 Faces Opposition

BURR RIDGE, IL – Two residents expressed concern Thursday that Hinsdale High School District 86 is on board with national sex education standards.

One said the standards called for teaching children about the "panoply of sexual preferences."

In response, three board members said they wanted to revisit the topic. Earlier this summer, the board unanimously voted to adopt the standards. Many school districts have not.

During public comments, resident Lisa Hultmark said the new standards are "completely age-inappropriate."

Students from kindergarten through second grade, she said, would learn the "medically accurate" terms for body parts, including genitals. She warned they would also learn about gender identity, among other things.

The standards, she said, call for teachers to explain that all "living things have the capacity to reproduce."

"But is that true? Maybe men can be pregnant. I don't know. Maybe that's what people are going to teach them," Hultmark said.

A few in the audience snickered.

Resident Anne Huber said she was confused about what would be taught in sex ed. She said she was no prude.

"I have seen the chart. It makes no sense to me. I have looked at the panoply of sexual preferences. I don't know why children are being taught that," Huber said. "I would like to see specifically what pictures you are going to use to teach children."

Board members Debbie Levinthal, Peggy James and Jeff Waters noted the state had not released the curriculum for the national sex education standards.

Levinthal said the board approved the policy on the sex ed standards without the benefit of seeing the curriculum.

Board member Kathleen Hirsman said she did not want to go into a detailed discussion about the standards. But she emphasized the board's unanimous support for the policy.

James replied, "To be clear, every board policy has been approved by the board."

"Not always unanimously," Hirsman said. "I was pointing out the fact that it was approved unanimously. That's significant. Think about that. It was approved unanimously."

Because the state has not provided the curriculum, Waters said, the issue warrants a discussion and possible action by the board.

Board President Erik Held said the administration would go to the board if it felt substantial changes were made from previous curriculums. He closed the discussion.

This week, Center Square, a news organization, provided details on the state's sex education controversy.