Students at a Connecticut middle school were reportedly instructed to use “pizza as a metaphor for sex” and asked to cite their favorite toppings — including cheese for “kissing” and olives for “giving oral.”
The eighth-graders at John F. Kennedy Middle School in Enfield received the “Pizza and Consent” assignment, which compared ordering a pizza to receiving consent, Fox News reported.
“We can use pizza as a metaphor for sex,” the assignment said, according to Parents Defending Education.
“When you order pizza with your friends, everyone checks in about each other’s preferences, right? Some people might be vegan, some might be gluten-free. Others might love pineapple, while others prefer pepperoni,” it said.
“Some might not like pizza at all. If you’re a vegetarian, your friend is a meat lover, sharing a pizza is going to bring up a lot of issues. You don’t know who you can share a pizza with unless you ask!” it continued.
Ordering a personal pizza was likened to giving consent.Parents Defending Education
“The same goes with sex! You have to check in with your partner(s) and ask for their preferences. Your partner(s) might be comfortable with one sexual activity, but not another,” the instructions stated.
“So start a conversation! It’s the only way sex (and pizza) can be comfortable and enjoyable for everyone,” it insisted.
The bizarre assignment then continued on another page, under the headline “Personal Pizza.”
“Now that you know this metaphor for sex, let’s explore your preferences! Draw and color your favorite type of pizza. What’s your favorite style of pizza? Your favorite toppings? What are your pizza no-nos?” it read.
“Now mirror these preferences in relation to sex! Here are some examples: Likes: Cheese = Kissing Dislikes: Olives = Giving Oral,” the students were told.
“Obviously, you might not be able to list all of your wants, desires, and boundaries, but hopefully you’ll start feeling more comfortable about discussing them,” the instructions continued.
“For those of ya’ll who don’t like pizza or sex at all, feel free to draw out another food favorite or include non-sexual activities,” it added.
Schools Superintendent Christopher Drezek said during a school board meeting Tuesday that the assignment had been sent “inadvertently” to the students, Fox News reported.
“The simple truth was it was a mistake. And I know that there are some who may not believe that. I know there are some who don’t necessarily maybe want that answer,” he told parents.
“In this particular case, I didn’t even get a chance to because the person who made the mistake jumped ahead of it before I was even notified that it had happened,” Drezek said.
He said that while the assignment was “inappropriate,” there was no “hidden agenda.”
“There was no secret cabal to indoctrinate kids on something. They sent the wrong document,” Drezek added. “So that’s what happened. And none of us are happy that it happened.”
Teacher Brie Quartin, the district’s health and physical education coordinator, took the blame for the imbroglio.
“The incorrect version, as opposed to the revised version of this assignment, was mistakenly posted on our Grade 8 curriculum page, and was inadvertently used for instruction to Grade 8 Health classes,” Quartin wrote in an email to parents, according to Parents Defending Education.
“I caught the error after our curriculum revision in June but failed to post the intended version. I own that, and apologize for the error,” she wrote.
Quartin explained that the correct version of the assignment was for “students to work in small groups to craft a pizza with toppings (no behaviors associated with said toppings) that would make everyone happy/comfortable using non-verbal communication only.”
“Students are then asked to reflect and discuss how thoughts or feelings can be confusing or miscontrued [sic], if we rely on non-verbal cues/communication alone. The parallel to be taught here is that when discussing pizza topping it is important that your preferences are clearly communicated to avoid any misunderstanding,” she added.
Parent Tracey Jarvis told NBC Connecticut: “This assignment is prompting kids to become sexually active before their time.”
Another parent, Marcie Talizeo, told the outlet that “this particular assignment was obviously not appropriate but it was not intended to cause harm to any child.”