Ohio mayor, parents demand resignation of school board, teachers over inappropriate booklet

An Ohio mayor and parents are calling for the resignations of members of a local school board and teachers after high school students receive a book full on inappropriate suggested writing topics. 

"It has come to my attention that your educators are distributing essentially what is child pornography in the classroom," city of Hudson Mayor Craig Shubert said Monday during the school board meeting, according to the news website Cleveland.com. "I've spoken to a judge this evening and she's already confirmed that. So I’m going to give you a simple choice: either choose to resign from this board of education or you will be charged." 

Calls to officials by Just the News on Wednesday could determine whether anybody has resigned.

The writing ideas were given to students at Hudson High School’s Liberal Arts II writing class.

Monica Havens, the mother of a school senior who received the "642 Things to Write About" booklet, said at the board meeting of the suggested topics included: 

• Write a scene that begins: 'It was the first time I killed a man.'
• Describe your favorite part of a man’s body using only verbs.
• Write a sex scene you wouldn’t show your mom.
• You have just been caught in bed by a jealous spouse. How will you talk your way out of this.
• Write a letter from the point of view of a drug addict.
• Write an X-rated Disney scenario.

The booklet also includes such non-controversial topic ideas as describing the worst Thanksgiving dish one has ever had, or the perfect day as an astronaut.

Havens said she asked her daughter to get the book from her backpack when she discovered the "horrific prompts, the news site also reports.

Hudson High School Principal Brian Wilch in the meeting said he became aware last week  of the inappropriate writing prompts in the book, which is used as a support resource in a college credit course, and apologized.

“We did not exercise our due diligence when we reviewed this resource and we overlooked several prompts that were not appropriate," he said. "We felt terrible." 

The class is offered in association with Hiram College, but is taught at the high school.

The school has also apologized and is working to collect the booklets. Wilch told the board and meeting attendees that the school will do a better job in the future when it comes to reviewing and selecting resources for class use.