Sex topics prompt Fremont school board to delay textbook

Fremont Unified School District officials plan to review the contents of a controversial ninth-grade health textbook after parents and other residents argued that some of its sex topics, including bondage, were too graphic.

School board members voted Wednesday to delay a final decision on whether to keep the book, “Your Health Today,” so they could work with its publisher on some of the content, the San Jose Mercury News reported.

Officials plan to return in January with a report addressing changes made to the more controversial chapters of the book.

Until then, Supt. Jim Morris announced this week, students enrolled in health classes at the district’s high schools would continue to use old text material.

The action comes after about 2,500 parents and residents demanded that “Your Health Today” be kept out of classrooms, fearing come of its content would expose teens to topics on sexual fantasies and sex games, as well as themes that include ropes, handcuffs, sex toys and vibrators.

Parents organizing the petition calling for the college-level book to be removed also asked for the formation of a health textbook selection committee.

Morris said this week that the district was focused on teaching state standards in an age-appropriate and objective manner, which was the goal in adopting the textbook.

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