Officer Called To Sachem High School North In Health Survey Aftermath: Police

LAKE RONKONKOMA, NY — Suffolk police were called to Sachem North High School on Friday after a staff member reported receiving a phone call "pertaining to" the controversial health survey recently conducted by the school, a police spokeswoman told Patch in an email.

An officer responded to the school to take a report, but no threat was involved, she said. It wasn't immediately clear why the officer was dispatched to the school.

An initial report from a 911 call had that it was a school employee who received a threatening text, though the nature of the threat was not clear, nor who sent or received the text, a police spokeswoman said.

Police referred a reporter to the school district for comment about the reason why an officer was called to the school.

A school spokeswoman referred to the incident as "a police matter" and did not respond to a request for more information.

Patch has requested the police department's report under Freedom of Information Law.

Sachem school officials reportedly found themselves in hot water with parents last week after a health survey containing sexual questions offended some.

The survey, which was to assess at-risk behaviors, was pulled by administrators after community members expressed concerns, district officials told Patch in a statement.

The quiz, which was sent to 10th graders in health class, asked questions about sexual activity and sexual preferences, such as how many sexual partners students had, and gender and sexual identity, News 12 reported.

The survey also asked students their thoughts about their weight and if they were trying to change it, the outlet reported.

One father told the outlet he was shocked when he saw the survey and told his daughter not to participate.

He told the outlet he considered the questions "extremely personal" and "explicit," adding that they were "something I don't think any child of that age should be asked, even older kids at that point."

"I think it would even be uncomfortable for adults, those questions that were asked on there," he said.

In a statement, schools superintendent Christopher Pelletierri said the district issued a survey to 10th-grade students at the district's high schools — East and North — based on a national study to assess at-risk behaviors "on various health-related topics."

"The survey is anonymous and optional and informs the district of areas in which they can assist their students with available resources for support as needed," he wrote.

"It has come to our attention that the survey included a few questions that raised concerns amongst some community members," Pellettierri continued. "As a result, the district pulled the survey, which is currently under review."