Last year, we reported that Burlington Public Schools had given a graphic “Youth Risk Behavior Survey” to students as young as 6th grade, asking questions about their sexual history, substance abuse, “gender identity,” and other sensitive topics. Some of the questions were extremely explicit, even asking students in detail about anal and oral sex acts and sex with “toys or props.” But as if that wasn’t egregious enough, BPS also refused to opt students out of the survey, even after their parents requested that they be excused.
Bold Burlington parents rallied in righteous indignation, packing school committee meetings to call out the superintendent and administration for failing to protect their children and respect their parental rights. As soon as these parents contacted us, our Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center immediately submitted a complaint to the federal Department of Education, detailing how Burlington’s conduct had violated federal law by ignoring parents’ rights. The incident went viral and was picked up by national news outlets. Then last August, based on our complaints, the DOE opened an investigation into the incident.
We are pleased to report that the DOE has now concluded their investigation and has definitively determined that Burlington violated federal law. You can read their press release here. The Department stated, “We will not stand idly by as schools violate federal law, disregard parents’ clear instructions, and expose young students to disturbing information and invasive questions.”
The Department has also presented BPS with a Resolution Agreement that would require the District to:
- “Send all parents copies of the 2025 survey questions that were improperly administered to ensure families understand the survey’s content and have the opportunity to discuss it with their children;
- Issue apology letters from the superintendent to the families who filed complaints;
- Ensure districtwide policies fully comply with federal parental rights laws; and,
- Submit all future surveys that may contain explicit information or sensitive questions to the Department for review.”
The Department has demanded the District’s assent to this Agreement by August 12. If the District does not comply, it risks losing its federal funding.
We applaud the Department’s decisive action to hold Burlington Public Schools accountable for this egregious violation of parents’ rights and children’s innocence. This should serve as a clear warning to any school that wants to push inappropriate sexual and ideological surveys onto minors in public schools: you will be held accountable. We also applaud the tireless advocacy of brave Burlington parents who stood up for their children and for common sense, attending school committee meeting after school committee meeting to make clear that they would not go away until this issue was resolved. Their determination led to this result.
We will keep you updated on the final resolution of this matter. MFI’s work to protect kids and families is only made possible by supporters like you. Please consider donating to help us continue the fight.