Waurika Public Schools pulls psychology assignment following online scrutiny

Waurika Public Schools removed a piece of curriculum from a high school psychology class after an assignment raised concerns among parents online

The assignment asked students to rate whether certain activities represented normal sexual behavior.

In a statement to parents, Superintendent Cody Simmons said the form came from a state-approved psychology curriculum but "should have never been dispersed." The district said it removed the curriculum from the class and notified parents on March 3.

“When I first saw the paper, I was shocked. Then I realized it was in Waurika and I was like, ‘holy cow’ and then I saw who the teacher was and [said] ‘timeout’ — we got to look into this thing a little bit,” said Waurika native Eric Faucett. 

Faucett expressed his feelings on social media about the incident, saying it all comes down to a mistake.

Photos of the assignment spread on social media, drawing criticism from parents and state officials. 

On X, State Superintendent Ryan Walters said:

"This is not acceptable in any classroom, this is the first time we’ve seen this questionnaire, and we’re comprehensively investigating the matter. The teacher and district will be held accountable."

At the Waurika High School baseball game on Thursday night, Simmons declined to answer follow-up questions.

Several parents also declined to comment, but many advocated for the teacher, who is also a coach, saying he did not deserve the outcome.

"He's a good guy — good teacher; loved by everyone who knows him — in the middle of a social media firestorm. The guy resigned after 47 years of teaching for a mistake," said Faucett.

News 9 has not been able to confirm the teacher's resignation.