North Cook News

Parents of students in the Barrington School District recently spoke to the school board to tell them they were opposed to certain reading materials in the school library that contain graphic sexual content.

One of the books is called “Flamer,” and it is about a boy named Aiden and his journey of self acceptance and living on his own terms. Parents say it is graphic in nature and can cause children more harm than good. One parent described the content as obscene. Another book a parent spoke about had a glossary filled with sexual terms. One parent was angry that there were books aimed only at homosexual sex acts, yet there were none about heterosexual sex acts.

Radio host Amy Jacobson of AM 560’s "Chicago Morning Answer” recently addressed this, saying that it is “tainting our kids' minds at such a young age.” She said it is uncomfortable for her to hear even as an adult.

“Think of how surprised you’d be if your kids were being instructed on it in primary grades,” Jacobson said on the March 13 program.

The parents referenced sources like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to back up their feelings.

"Pornography exposure at these young ages often results in anxiety for the child,” the AAP report said. “Children also report feelings of disgust, shock, embarrassment, anger, fear, and sadness after viewing pornography. These children can suffer all of the symptoms of anxiety and depression."

The report went on to say that the use of pornography by adolescents and young adults could lead them to a distorted view of sexuality and the role it plays in developing healthy personal relationships.

The school is no stranger to sexually charged incidents. In 2014, two middle school students were charged with having child pornography, a Chicago Tribune report said. A male student was found to have sexually explicit photographs of female classmates that he shared with other students. The district investigated the situation and the students faced disciplinary action such as suspension and expulsion.