Report Over High School Quiz Turns Into National News Story
A high school history teacher in Seattle is under fire after allegedly giving a student a failing grade on a quiz for answering that only women can get pregnant and only men can have penises.
According to screenshots shared by parents of the students, the 10th-grade Ethnic Studies World History teacher at Chief Sealth International High School administered a quiz focused on "understanding gender vs. sex." The quiz consisted of multiple-choice and true or false questions about various gender-related topics.
However, it was the answer to questions 4 and 7 that sparked controversy. Question 4 asked students to identify whether the statement "All men have penises" is true or false. The student answered true and was marked incorrect by the teacher. Similarly, in Question 7, the student answered that the statement "only women can get pregnant" was true, which was also marked as incorrect by the teacher.
Other questions on the quiz asked students to define gender identity and questioned whether transgender people are gay. The student's mother, who chose to remain anonymous, expressed concern that the school is allowing teachers to push their political beliefs on students.
"I keep trying to understand how it is legal to teach inaccurate information and force students to answer against their beliefs or receive negative scores," the mother said in an interview with Jason Rantz on KTTH.
She also claimed that teachers have called her son derogatory names such as "f---d and racist" and accused him of being a product of the patriarchy. However, the school has denied these claims, stating that no such incidents have been reported.
In a response to Fox News Digital's inquiry, the district confirmed that a "knowledge check quiz" was administered in an Ethnic Studies class at Chief Sealth International High School approximately two weeks ago. They stressed that the quiz results did not impact the final grades of students.
"The Seattle Public Schools (SPS) course description for the Ethnic Studies World History class underscores that students will be ‘investigating... the global economy, society, and culture.' Claims that the student was called names have not been reported to SPS," the district's statement read.
They also emphasized their commitment to creating inclusive learning environments that encourage the exploration of contemporary issues, including power systems such as racism and patriarchy. However, they did not address the concerns raised by the student's mother about the quiz and the use of potentially inaccurate information in the classroom.
The controversy has sparked a conversation about the role of teachers in promoting certain political beliefs in the classroom and the impact it can have on students. As the discussion continues, it is clear that a balance must be struck between promoting critical thinking and ensuring that students are not penalized for their own beliefs.