An Ohio mayor is asking all five school board members of his town to resign or face possible criminal charges over high school course material that he said a judge called “child pornography.”
Hudson, Ohio Mayor Craig Shubert made the statement during a board of education meeting after multiple parents complained about the content of some writing prompts contained in a book called “642 Things to Write About” provided to high school students enrolled in a college credit course called Writing in the Liberal Arts II.
‘Write a sex scene you wouldn’t show your mom’ is another prompt urge
Parents said there was a prompt that asked students to “write a sex scene you wouldn’t show your mom,” and another which said, “rewrite the sex scene from above into one that you’d let your mom read.”
Another prompt asked students to drink a beer and describe how it tastes. Parents said they felt these writing prompts and others were not appropriate for high school students.
One speaker said he was “appalled” by the content and requested that cameras be put into the classroom so parents could monitor what is being taught to their children. Another speaker said the material was “disgusting” and that it amounted to “grooming.”
‘It has come to my attention that your educators are distributing essentially what is child pornography in the classroom,’ fumed Mayor Schubert wants the Ohio school board resign during public comments.
Hudson, Ohio Mayor Craig Schubert delivered the harsh ultimatum on Monday
‘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 Ohio school board to resign or you will be charged,’ the mayor added. Shubert on Monday night gave the board an ultimatum.
Hudson School Board President David Zuro
In a prepared statement, Superintendent Phil Herman said the “inappropriate and offensive writing prompts” were part of a supplemental resource used in the high school senior-level College Credit Plus writing sections.
“The district immediately determined this writing resource should not be in the hands of our students, and on Monday, collected the books from the students enrolled in the course,” Herman said. “It is important to note that at no time were any of these inappropriate writing prompts assigned as part of the class.”
High school principal Brian Wilch said the class is offered in association with Hiram College but is taught at the high school. He also said the “642 Things” book has been used in the past.
Wilch told the board Monday that he and his administrative team apologized to the students’ parents. The school is searching for replacement material that is suitable for high school students, he said.
“We did not exercise due diligence when we reviewed this resource and as a result, we overlooked writing prompts among the 642 that are not appropriate for our high school audience,” Wilch said. “We feel terrible. At no time were any of these inappropriate prompts selected or discussed, but still, they were there and they were viewable, and you can’t unsee them.”
Herman said an independent investigation is underway “to determine how these supplemental materials were reviewed and approved, and if any additional action should be taken.”
“It is clear that as a district we did not properly review this resource, and for that, we sincerely apologize,” he said. “We take great pride in the instructional experience of our students and take very seriously anything that negatively impacts our mission to provide an educational program that provides for the development of each child in a safe, nurturing environment.
“Again, we are reviewing our approval processes to make sure that nothing similar happens in the future.”
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the controversy with 642 things to write about?
In a statement, board president David Zuro said: "On Friday, September 10, the Hudson City School District was made aware of writing prompts in a supplement, a writing notebook called 642 Things to Write About, that contain content inappropriate for a high school setting.
What is Hudson Ohio known for?
The Western Reserve Academy, a coeducational boarding and day college preparatory school located on the old site of Western Reserve College, is still based in Hudson, the original home of what would then become Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
When did Hudson Ohio become a city?
Hudson also saw the Ohio-Erie Canal's neighboring Akron-Cleveland segment come to fruition just a year after the College was established. The town's prosperity was boosted by this transit hub. Hudson was formally established as the "Town of Hudson, Township of Hudson, County of Portage" in 1837.
What county in Ohio is Hudson in?
Ohio's Summit County is an urban county. The county had 540,428 residents as of the 2020 census, making it Ohio's fourth-most populous county. Akron serves as the county seat. On March 3, 1840, the county was created by joining together parts of Medina, Portage, and Stark Counties.