Franklin Graham has warned parents that public schools are "dangerous" and are "part of an agenda to pervert the minds and steal the innocence of children" after a controversial sex worksheet was given out at an Oklahoma middle school.
"Parents beware and listen up-here's an example of how dangerous our public schools have become for our children," the Samaritan's Purse CEO wrote in a recent Facebook post. "This Oklahoma middle school was teaching 7th and 8th graders topics in their sex education class including mutual masturbation, oral, vaginal and anal sex as the '4 types' of sex."
Graham linked to an article from The Blaze, which reported that the worksheet, given to students at Jay Middle School in Jay, Oklahoma, disturbed one 12-year-old student so much that she was in tears and asked to be taken out of the class. Another student said, "Mom, it's like instead of telling us how not to do it, it's like they gave us a road map."
"This curriculum tried to make it more elementary by having kids fill in the blanks and referring to 'underwear zones,'" Billy Graham's son continued. "This is all part of an agenda to pervert the minds and steal the innocence of children-it's wrong, and it's evil."
The evangelist urged parents to "be on guard" and "get informed about what the schools are teaching your children."
"Get involved and let the school and the school board know this isn't going to happen on your watch," he said. "I urge Christians across the country to run for your local and state school boards where you can help put a stop to initiatives like this."
Mandy Callihan, whose 12-year-old daughter goes to the middle school, said that when she approached school administration about the worksheet, "the teacher said it was board approved. The school counselor said it was board approved. The school nurse said it was board approved. The Principal said 'HE approved it and there was nothing wrong with it.'"
The school district also claimed they sent home a pamphlet - not requiring a parental signature - but Callihan said she never saw one.
"We never saw a pamphlet. ... so we didn't have the opportunity to get her out of the class before it started. Signatures for permission were NOT required, but you could opt out (depending on who you talk too, because we got different answers on the permission part)," Callihan said in a post on Facebook.
Eventually, the school superintendent told the family the class had been pulled "for now," but it "must continue to be taught in the coming years, as per state requirements."
"We were also told that 'separating genders will no longer take place due to transgender laws,'" she said.
She concluded: "I realize not all children this age are innocent. I realize the statistics in our county, and our schools, concerning teen pregnancy. It's sad, it truly is. But this?!? This was not the way to go about fixing that problem. THIS was an assault of MY child's innocence and mind. It is just not okay."
