New Jersey Fifth Grade Lesson Plans Include Graphic Sex-Related Videos
New Jersey public elementary school students could be taught that puberty blockers are an acceptable way to “manage” puberty and that masturbating “a few times a day” is a healthy way to relieve stress, according to sample lesson plans being reviewed by state school districts.
State Sen. Holly Schepisi, a Republican said the materials are “completely overboard with cringy detail for young kids.”
One of the proposed fifth-grade lesson plans titled “It’s All About the Hormones,” contains a video called, “Puberty and Transgender Youth.”
“Whether you identify as male, female, genderqueer or something else, you’re perfectly normal, and there are lots of ways to manage puberty so that it can be a fun, exciting time rather than a scary or stressful one,” the video says.
“If you feel you want more time to explore how you feel about your gender before your body starts to change, it’s important to talk with a parent, counselor, therapist or doctor about the feelings you have regarding your gender,” the video continues. “After some discussion and counseling, you may be referred to an endocrinologist. Endocrinologists specialize in hormones, and they’re the most likely to prescribe puberty blockers for someone who wants them. Puberty blockers are medications that will stop your body from changing.”
Another lesson shows a video called, “Masturbation: Totally Normal,” which teaches kids that masturbating up to “a few times a day” is a “physically safe way to express sexual feelings.” The animated video shows a boy dropping his pants and writhing under a blanket until he finishes and grabs a tissue. A video targeting girls promotes masturbation as “a way to relieve stress” and shows a girl examining herself with a hand-held mirror.
A lesson plan called “What is Love Anyway?” includes a video about sexual orientation.
“While many people know their sexual orientation at a very young age, it is also common at this age to feel confused about your thoughts and feelings regarding who you find attractive,” the video says. “In fact, you may find yourself thinking about people of the same sex and of the opposite sex and be unsure.”
A spokesperson for Westfield Public Schools said last week that the teaching materials were a “sample list of resources” aligned with state policy.
Republicans like Schepisi say the proposed lesson plans go too far.
“I truly think New Jersey has lost its damn mind,” she wrote.
Concerning the broader state plan to teach kids as young as 7 about gender identity, starting this fall, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said it’s “just a further indication of the crazy liberal policies of my successor, Phil Murphy.”