Parents furious that first graders were shown 'masturbation' videos in school

Last fall parents at New York City's pricey Dalton School learned that during sex education their young first-grade children were taught about touching their private parts.

The New York Post said that video of a cartoon utilized in a course included a boy saying, "Sometimes I touch my penis because it feels good," and a girl saying, "Sometimes, when I’m in my bath or when Mom puts me to bed, I like to touch my vulva too."

The outlet reported that parents complained about the matter and were notified they "misinterpreted" what was being taught by Justine Ang Fonte, who last month sparked controversy for teaching "porn literacy" to older students at another elite school.

Fonte has informed parents that she does not utilize the term "masturbation" during the first grade class, according to the outlet, and that the lessons educate children not to publicly touch themselves.

"Kids have no less than five classes on gender identity – this is pure indoctrination," a Dalton mother stated, according to the outlet. "This person should absolutely not be teaching children. Ironically, she teaches kids about 'consent' yet she has never gotten consent from parents about the sexually explicit, and age inappropriate material about transgender to first graders." 

"We are furious," another Dalton mother said, according to the outlet. "We were horrified to learn this was shown to our first-grade 6- and 7-year old kids without our knowledge or consent. But it’s so hard to fight back because you’ll get cancelled and your child will suffer."

The educational institution has said that just a "small group" of parents complained about the course last fall and had "misinterpreted" the material, but the Post reported that it has eliminated the video about children touching themselves from the curriculum.

"As part of Dalton’s comprehensive Health curriculum for students, a lesson on Gender & Bodies included two evidence-based and age-appropriate videos approved for students 4 years and older," a Dalton spokesperson said, according to the outlet. "These videos align with nationally recognized methodologies and standards. We consistently review our Health curriculum, making sure that the content is developmentally appropriate and, if necessary, we adapt our curriculum accordingly. We will continue to listen carefully to parent feedback, respond thoughtfully to community concerns, and develop lessons that are in the best interest of our students, respect our community’s values, and correspond with best practices."