American Teacher of Oregon at center of sexual fantasy assignment controversy placed on leave, under investigation

By Edward Era Barbacena

The Oregon high school teacher at the center of a "sexual fantasy" assignment controversy has been placed on leave pending an investigation.

Kirk Miller asked students at Churchill High School in Eugene to write about their fantasies during a health class. While the assignment was quickly scrubbed from the curriculum, the fact that it was included to begin with drew ire from many parents.

According to KATU, the Eugene School District 4J revealed on Friday that an "outside third party" was conducting the investigation, with school board member Gordon Lafer adding that the probe will "look into any and all concerns/allegations that have been raised, and not just the one assignment that's been circulated on social media."

Lafer, and several others, apologized at a school board meeting on Wednesday, admitting the assignment "should never have been given."

"To require students to write down and share sexual fantasies as a requirement of a course is inappropriate and, I believe, an abuse of authority and invasion of students' privacy," he stated.

In the assignment, which was derived from Page 90 of the Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Grades 10-12 guidebook, Miller told students to write about their sexual fantasies, but stipulated that they should not "involve penetration of any kind or oral sex," but that they should reference at least three items from a list of suggestions including "romantic music, candles, massage oil, feathers, a feather boa and flavored syrup."

"You story should show that you can show and receive loving physical affection without having sex," he added.

As KATU reports, Our Whole Lives said the assignment was an "unauthorized, out-of-context adaptation of a facilitated group activity."

Superintendent Andy Dey blamed lack of oversight, stating that it was "not a lesson the district endorses or supports delivering," and vowing never to use it again.

"Moving forward," Dey said, "the district will ensure that our faculty understand and follow district policy and state law by providing families information about health curriculum, which will now include clear unit information to allow for informed decision-making for all families on their student’s participation in some or all of the curriculum."