Mom outraged over 'sexist' homework assignment requiring students to 'go on a date'

Jenn Oxborrow was shocked earlier this week when she saw a homework assignment requiring her 16-year-old daughter to “go on a date” with a member of the opposite sex — with the goal being to not spend more than $5.

The assignment was part of the mandatory “Adult Roles and Financial Literacy” class at Highland High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. The problem? It was filled with dating suggestions that Oxborrow and other parents deemed misogynistic and inappropriate.

Oxborrow, a therapist, originally shared a copy of the handout on Facebook and expressed her displeasure in a post:

“My 11th grade AP honors student’s homework: ‘Go on a date!’ With a boy. And follow his suggestions — don’t correct his personal habits, don’t waste his money, and show him respect. Thanks for educating our kids, Utah Department of Education. We really appreciate your evidence-based misogyny.”

Girls and boys received different handouts that included separate, rather stereotypical, suggestions on appropriate dating behaviour.

“It’s just completely unfair, I think,” Oxborrow’s daughter, Lucy Mulligan, said of the handouts, which included “suggestions for the girls (from the guys)” and vice versa.

Boys were advised to “make plans for the date and let the girl know what they are doing,” don’t “gripe about the money you’re spending” and “at a restaurant, say what you’re going to order so she will have a guide in ordering.”

Among the date suggestions for girls from boys were to “eat the food you order. Don’t waste his money,” “don’t expect love and commitment” and “If you think you’re too fat, etc., keep it to yourself.”

“There’s so many power and control issues within this, it’s really dangerous,” Oxborrow said in an interview with KSL TV.

Another concern was that students were required to go on dates with members of the opposite sex; there were no suggestions for LGBTQ students. According to Mulligan, the impression given in class was that an actual date was required.

The teacher “never said that it could be a friend,” Mulligan told the Salt Lake Tribune. “She really didn’t leave it up to us if we wanted to or not.”

A Salt Lake City School District spokesman stated that the handouts did have gender bias, but the teacher involved was mortified and didn’t intend to hurt anybody.

The handouts, which reportedly came from a statewide database of material submitted by licensed educators, were deemed inappropriate and have since been removed.

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