Every school has its own set of rules that it follows and assignments that it gives out to its students. When these parents found out what their children were going through, however, the outcome was dramatic.
When parents enroll their children at a certain school, they expect, first and foremost, that their children will get raised with proper values and civility, with the help of professionals. Apart from any educational outcomes, this is the primary goal of schooling.
The education itself is just as important to most, however. Parents want to see their kids educated in a variety of different subjects, with the most modern methods available.
This way, they can get a holistic education that will be invaluable when they grow up. Unfortunately, these parents were in for a disappointing surprise…
The Williams were a family of 5, living in Shallowater, Texas. The father, John, and the mother, Sophie, had 3 beautiful young kids: Joe, Ann and Zach.
They were truly caring and affectionate parents, wanting to raise the kids with the best manners and values.
Joe was the oldest of their kids and it was time to enroll in High-School. While limited by location, the Williams had seen very positive reviews of their local High School, “Shallowater High School”.
They hoped that this would ensure the best educational outcomes for their child. Little did they know, they were in for a shock…
Initially, Joe was happy with both his school and his classmates. The facilities were modern, and the teachers were interesting.
Everything seemed to be going great when one day, his mother Sophie notices something peculiar…
While Joe seemed fine, her mother instinct kicked in: she knew there was something going on. Joe would assure them everything was fine however, and that made her relieved for a little while.
It wouldn’t last for long though…
One day, Joe’s behavior seemed strange. He appeared timid and restricted, while he didn’t even enjoy some fun together with his siblings like he used to every other day.
Instead, he went straight to his room…
His mother knew she had to know. Thus, she tried to listen to what he was doing in his room.
Apparently, Joe was talking to himself, as if he was rehearsing some archaic speech. Why would he do that?
Sophie decided not to talk to him about it immediately. Instead, she was going to monitor his behavior and see how it progresses.
Her careful spirit certainly was helpful, but the shock that she was in for would be tremendous…
Sophie decided to speak to John about it. John agreed with her handling of the situation, but he was more reassuring; it’s probably just a game he’s playing, no need to worry.
His opinion would change soon…
One day, Joe came home evidently sad. His parents sat down with him and immediately had a talk to see what’s wrong.
They thought it might have been bullying, but it was something completely different…
According to Joe, one teacher had given them an assignment. But Joe was always a very hard-working student, it would be unusual for him to be sad over homework.
The problem must have been something other than the difficulty…
Apparently, Joe had to act a certain way due to this assignment. But it wasn’t just Joe, it was all the boys and girls that took part in it.
They had to act as if they were living in the 1300s! The parents initially thought that was actually interesting, when they read the shocking assignment paper…
Joe showed them the paper their teacher had given out to them, as part of the English Language class.
As you can see, the assignment made the boys act in an outdated, “chivalrous” way, according to the values of the medieval society they were trying to emulate like assisting ladies to seat themselves or rise from their seats, standing up whenever a lady comes into the room, and paying for them if taking them out for the evening.
While this assignment was obviously stressful and made some boys uncomfortable, it was clear that it wasn’t that terrible by itself.
Then they came to the realization: if that’s the boys’ assignment, what did the girls have to do?
While Joe couldn’t answer that question himself, the Williams started contacting other parents who had noticed the same patterns.
According to them, if the boys’ assignment was somewhat distasteful, the girls’ one was simply disgraceful…
Joe’s parents thought to themselves: “If Joe felt that bad about this assignment, what would the girls feel?”. The very thought made them shiver and angry.
They had to find out…
Parents who had their daughters enlisted in the school and this particular class were enraged. Their daughters’ assignments were so shocking that they made the boys’ assignment look like a beautiful day at the park.
Considering the way women were treated in the 1300s, you can imagine the horror…
It took no time at all for the assignment paper to be leaked. It’s hard for someone to read it without a pause.
The shocking obligations for the young girls make it a difficult read, to say the least.
Apparently, the teacher had handed out a “Code Of Chivalry” to both boys and girls in the classroom, to reenact a medieval society.
The assignment functioned as a checklist of the things that each student had to perform in line with the Code of Chivalry and then an adult witness had to put a signature next to the objective to prove that it happened.
The ladies got a list that included things like dressing in a feminine way that would “please the men,” walking behind men, never criticizing them, and cleaning up after their men.
Naturally, parents were furious over this…
According to the shocking assignment, ladies “must dress in a feminine manner to please the men, address all men respectfully by title," not "complain or whine," and cook them something from scratch for dinner. (Apparently, baked goods were "preferable.").
We are at a loss for words…
Obviously, this controversial act made people fired up. Many went on to complain about it on Twitter, demanding actions from the school’s authorities. "Where do they get these ...
crazy ideas? We’re living in the 21st-century not the 50s."
Many of the parents were outraged: "This was absolutely horrific! I’m shocked! ...
whoever thought this was a good idea in 2021 should immediately be mandated to enroll in a diversity and inclusion course," wrote one person. "Teach gender equality NOT submissiveness in 2021!”, wrote another.
However, others remained skeptical as to whether this assignment was actually misogynistic. Jessica Lain, an 18-year-old student in the English class, thinks her teacher — whom she describes as a feminist — got a bad rep for the assignment.
After all, the point of the assignment was exactly to showcase the misogynist reality of the times.
Most parents were not convinced, instead asking for action or proposing alternative methods of teaching the subject: "Maybe it would be more eye-opening if the boys in the class were given the female roles," one person suggested.
"Women still deal with some of that crap."
With many parents demanding action from the school, the administration responded quickly: "This assignment has been reviewed, and despite its historical context, it does not reflect our district and community values," wrote Superintendent of Schools Anita Hebert.
"The matter has been addressed with the teacher, and the assignment was removed."
Parents welcomed the decision, though many were still disappointed that the school would allow such an exaggerated display of misogynism in a modern environment.
Surely, there were better ways to communicate such messages…
This event started a broad discussion over the limit’s teachers have when reenacting events of the past. While their intentions might be noble, it’s still important to understand that some students might be more sensitive over such cases.
What is your opinion on the matter?