The U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into Burlington Public Schools (BPS) on Monday for violating parent rights.
The Massachusetts district allegedly administered a survey to all students, gathering sensitive information and disregarding some parents’ requests to opt out.
Teachers distributed the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey to roughly 2,000 students at Marshall Simonds Middle School and Burlington High School on March 27, according to an email written by Sam Whiting on behalf of the Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center. The survey included questions about personal topics such as gender identity, sexual encounters and drug use, and also provided graphic descriptions of mature topics including sexual intercourse.
The schools notified parents of the survey on March 6 and informed them of their right to opt their child out through an online form. However, many students whose parents opted out reportedly weren’t included in the final opt-out list and had to take the survey anyway.
