A Texas high school apologized after a question about rape was included in a biology assignment for freshman students.
Klein Collins High School, which is located in the Houston area, outraged many parents after a take-home assignment about DNA included a question about solving a rape. The assignment asked, “Suzy was assaulted in an alley and is a victim of rape. The police collected a sample of sperm that was left at the crime scene and now have three suspects in custody. Which of the suspects raped Suzy?”
The district confirmed that the “inappropriate homework question” was included in the biology assignment after several parents criticized the school for allowing the question to appear on an assignment. One parent told KPRC, “It’s upsetting, and I know girls this age, just the thought … they know that rape is forced nonconsensual sex and that upsets them. That’s why I can’t fathom a teacher putting that on a test.”
In an apology to parents, the district explained that the question was not part of the approved curriculum and noted that it would not be included in future assignments, writing, “The assignment is not part of the District’s approved curriculum and is by no means representative of the District’s instructional philosophy. The District has investigated the source of the materials and appropriate corrective action has been taken.”
According to the school’s spokesman, 90 students received the homework assignment. The district would not confirm if corrective action was being taken against the teacher responsible for the assignment.
