A teacher at a Placentia high school has been placed on administrative leave after video of her anatomy and physiology lesson was released online and drew controversy.
The El Dorado High School teacher, identified by the Orange County Register as Judy Rehburg, discussed the prostate and its role in providing sexual pleasure, the video shows. She also discussed anal sex and sex toys being sold at popular retailers like Target.
The video sparked outrage among some parents, who filed a complaint against Rehburg with the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, the Register reported.
Placentia is a city in northern Orange County, next to Anaheim.
While some parents have criticized Rehburg’s lesson and said it was inappropriate for physiology class, others defended the teacher and the concept of teaching sexual education topics during the class.
A syllabus posted to the school’s website includes that the reproductive system and pregnancy are among the choices for the final unit of study.
One person claiming to be a student in the video told the Instagram page @freejudy that Rehburg was only responding to a specific question about the prostate that a student had asked.
“This is simply educational and others who believe this is irresponsible and disgusting, need to grow up and learn for themselves,” read @freejudy’s caption when posting the video.
“She’s talking to kids who are seniors and everything. They 17-18 practically adults, don’t see why this conversation is an issue,” added commenter @alex_hunny_man.
The district is investigating the incident, PYLUSD spokesperson Alyssa Griffiths told the Register.
“District employees are trusted to exercise professional judgment when deciding whether or not a particular issue is suitable for study or discussion,” Griffiths said. “In the classroom, employees act on behalf of the district and are expected to follow the adopted curriculum, and they should not advocate personal opinions or viewpoints. With that being said, PYLUSD and EDHS will continue to work diligently to ensure that all students are afforded the opportunity to learn in a safe and respectful environment.”