Feminism 2017: Utah High School’s Misogynistic Homework Under Fire For Outlining Date Guidelines Asking Girls To Be ‘Feminine And Lady-Like’

A sexist homework assignment set by a Utah high school has caused widespread uproar on social media after a parent posted images of the task on Facebook this week. Such misogynistic lessons are common in the state, reports cited critics as saying.

Highland high school in Salt Lake City handed out an assignment outlining guidelines for a “$5 Date” with separate instructions for boys and girls. The lesson came from a Utah teachers’ database of assignments but has been removed following criticism.

Under the instructions meant for girls, they were required to be “feminine and lady-like” and not to “waste” a boy’s money. Other pointers included “Don’t keep checking in the mirror combing hair,” “Don’t fish for compliments,” “Don’t criticize his driving” and “If you think you’re too fat etc, keep it to yourself.”

The boys’ instruction sheet asked them to be gentlemanly — “At a restaurant, say what you’re going to order so she will have a guide in ordering” and “Girls like flowers and little gifts.”

Jenn Oxborrow — mother of junior Lucy Mulligan — who reportedly posted images of the handout on Facebook, said gender stereotypes and sexist material was routinely propagated within the school curriculum.

“I was horrified. It wasn’t the first time that we had seen content that was gender biased in this class. But this was over the top,” she told the Guardian. “As a teacher, you have a responsibility to be inclusive and to think very carefully about the message you’re sharing.”

The school’s principal Chris Jenson told the Salt Lake Tribune that the teacher involved did not write the lesson and that students were allowed to spend time with a friend to finish the assignment. Mulligan, however, told the Guardian that the assignment made it look like the students had no choice but to go on a date as the worksheet required a “date’s signature.”

Mark Peterson, spokesman for the Utah board of education, expressed regret over the circulation of the assignment, saying: “It is inappropriate and unacceptable. It is very much is reminiscent of a textbook on dating from the 1950s or earlier.”