Arizona Superintendent Did Not Call for Sex Ed in Kindergarten
The Claim
Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Kathy Hoffman advocated extending Sex Education lessons to ages as young as 6, as well as teaching students about “masturbation and sexual positions.”
Emerging story
On Aug. 20, 2020, a photograph of Kathy Hoffman, the Arizona superintendent of public instruction, began to circulate on Twitter along with a piece of text that levied several accusations. The post incorrectly claimed that Hoffman advocated for teaching kindergarten children about masturbation and sexual positions in schools. The claims subsequently went viral on social media.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation into this claim reveals it to be false. Hoffman's proposals for changes to Arizona’s state sex education curriculum can be summarized as follows:
- Lessons MAY be taught to boys and girls separately.
- All sex education materials and instruction shall be age appropriate, recognize the needs of exceptional students, meet the needs of the district, recognize local community standards and sensitivities BE MEDICALLY AND SCIENTIFICALLY ACCURATE.
- Stress that sexually transmitted INFECTIONS have severe consequences and constitute a serious and widespread public health problem, AND PROVIDE MEDICALLY ACCURATE INSTRUCTION ON METHODS TO PREVENT THE TRANSMISSION OF THESE INFECTIONS.
As anyone can see, none of this material discusses kindergarteners, masturbation, or sex positions.
