Posted on 06/04/2015 9:00:06 AM PDT by wagglebee
Minneapolis, MN, June 3, 2015 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Parents in Minnesota are outraged after learning that a school sex education teacher took their pre-teen children to a sex toy store without parental consent.
Last week, the director of Gaia Democratic School – a small, private K-12 school – took approximately a dozen students as young as 11 to an establishment known as the Smitten Kitten. Describing itself as "a progressive sex toy store for everyone," Smitten Kitten showed students its variety of sex toys, though it says it took its pornography section down during the visit.
Now, Lynn Floyd and his ex-wife have removed their three children from the school. Floyd told the Star-Tribune that he was unaware of the trip, which his older daughters, aged 11 and 13, attended.
“It’s just a major breach of trust,” said Floyd. “You just can’t erase those images.”
The Star-Tribune reports that Gaia has approximately 25 students, "including several described by administrators as transgender." The school is inside Minneapolis’ First Unitarian Society building, and its mission statement says, "We believe in academic freedom, youth empowerment, democratic education, and environmental stewardship."
While Gaia did not return LifeSiteNews' request for comment, the school's director defended the trip even as she said "it will probably be our last."
Director Starri Hedges, who also teaches the school’s sex education class, said she wanted to provide a safe and welcoming environment for students to learn about human sexual behavior.
“What I saw happening on our trip, I thought it was beautiful because kids could talk to these sex educators without any shame, without any fear,” Starri Hedges told The Star-Tribune on Monday. “The sexual health aspect, there is no right age for all kids. You can't say, ‘All kids should know this at this age.’ There are students that are already going through puberty at 10 or 11.”
Hedges said that multiple students bought condoms at the store.
They sat at the front of the store in a library section, she told The Star-Tribune, and products seen as pornographic were off limits.
Given the reaction, however, Hedges said, “It was certainly the first time we have taken that kind of field trip and it will probably be our last.”
Hedges added, “I feel bad, because the kids had so much fun."
It's not just Gaia that is facing trouble due to the visit. Smitten Kitten, which says on its website that "everyone is welcome," may have broken the law by allowing minors in the store.
The Star-Tribune notes that a license and zoning inspector was sent to the store, which "was issued notices for having sexually explicit materials that were not in a separate section of the store."
But city officials levied no fine. Instead, they told the store to fix the problem.
In a statement, owner Jennifer Pritchett said that "we leave it up to the discretion of parents and guardians as to when, and in what capacity, they seek resources from our educators.”
Smitten Kitten promotes itself as an educational location on its website. It also explicitly encourages "people of all genders, orientations, ages and abilities...to come, regardless of relationship status or style."
"Events are non-explicit and non-sexual. All demonstrations and other learning tools, images and props are of an educational nature," according to its website.
One of its upcoming events is entitled "Lusting, Mating and Dating At Any Age," and appears to be geared towards senior citizens.
"You’re ready to connect with the right person (or persons) for dating, sex, love, companionship – so how can you choose other singles who attract and interest you?" the event description asks. The instructor is an author of three explicitly titled books about sexual activity among older people.
Smitten Kitten did not return LifeSiteNews' phone call about its educational programs.
Publik skools need to go. When is enough enough??
Sex shops catering to children, the insanity has rotted this culture to the core.
maybe someone will do follow up research on these kids to see how they adapt to real life latter on.
Private school I think.
Messed up private school.
I would think you would have to be 18 to enter an establishment like this.
*Heroin was a registered trademark of Bayer AG
Send your kid(s) to “Gaia Democratic School,” what do you expect ?????
You’re correct. That’s what I get for just reading the title. :p Although, it was a pretty fair assumption.
“There is no asexual childhood anymore. What a loss.”
You bet it is! A tragedy. Today’s adults have been asleep at the wheel.
They are nothing but closet pedos. Hell the out of the closet ones would never attempt to be this brazen.
The “parents” should launch a full investigation on all of the teachers to see if their “free love” attitude extends to touching the kids. This is a private school, so money talks, and parents have the leverage.
As Ted Cruz said - the left is obsessed with sex. I’d be a raging bull if this happened to one of my kids, but, remember - this is Minnesota we’re talking about.
In the past before we had “educators”, we had teachers. They all had real academic degrees, not degrees in education. In most communities the most intelligent and professional individuals were the teachers, and they were highly respected. Teachers used to dress like they were going to Sunday school, all prim and proper. Now we have “educators” like Starri that looks like a old washed up hippie. What a joke our education system has become.
“I’m Starri Hedges. I am here to impart the joys and mysteries of sex to your children because I know so much more than you.”
yes, it is normally a public school
Publik skools need to go. When is enough enough??
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Couldnt even read 2 sentences before commenting?
School id’ed as a private school in the 2nd sentence of the excerpt.
Someone else already pointed that out to me. I freely admitted that I just read the title.
And these are super lib lefty parents I think, but even they, even they know that middle schoolers really do not belong in an ADULT sex toy store.
“found missing”!
LMAO! I gotta use that one.
Condolences. I hope all worked out well. God Bless you.
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