Controversial quiz concerns St. Augustine High School parents

The St. Johns County School District is looking into a controversial quiz given to local students at St. Augustine High School.

Questions included statements about "embracing bigotry" and "supporting the financially elite."

The specific question sparking all of the conversation was on an Advanced English-Language Arts exam.

According to a letter sent by the principal of SAHS to the teacher involved, all of the questions on the test were created by the English teacher himself.

Action News Jax reporter Courtney Cole spoke to some parents who said they were disgusted about the politically charged wording.

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"He was outraged. How is this on a test? How is this OK?" Reanna Parham told Action News Jax.

Parham is talking about question No. 7 on her son Logan’s exam.

It reads:
"Right when it appeared the nation was becoming increasingly tolerant of alternative lifestyles, immigration, and minorities, the vocal and angry right wing forced the nation to make a complete ________ embracing bigotry, xenophobia, and sexism."

Logan snapped a picture and sent it to his mom on Monday.

"I had to read it a couple times. I put it on Facebook just to kind of get feedback from other parents to see if they shared my shock, and they definitely did,” Parham said.

The Facebook post she created has been shared nearly 150 times and garnered nearly 80 comments from parents so far.

Cole showed the exam to Osbert Cato. He has a daughter in the ninth grade who attends the school.

He said he found the question disturbing as well.

"These are really trying times, and I think that as a community, people need to get together and talk things out,” said Cato.

The principal of the school sent a letter to the teacher on Tuesday, reminding him that he needs to "exercise good judgment" when teaching subjects sensitive in nature.

“That is not something an educator should be doing. I feel like these are our tax dollars, they work for us. It is we the people. You can't just say and do whatever you want with our kids. It's not OK,” Parham said.

The St. Johns County School District said the question will not be included on future assignments.

The district also told Action News Jax they’ve heard from more than one parent about this issue.

In a message to a parent the Superintendent of Schools for St. Johns County, Tim Forson said he visited the school to talk to the principal. He said he has confidence in the principal’s leadership and ability to ensure this incident doesn’t happen again.

Cox Media Group