Best views, weather, etc. How to test them 👓 SC, Ala. sites look back Betty Ford honored
NEWS

Minn. school kids visit sex toy shop for class

Melanie Eversley
USA TODAY
In this 2010 photo, merchandise appears on display at adult novelty store the Smitten Kitten in Minneapolis.

A Minneapolis private school is getting some attention because about two dozen of its students recently visited a Twin Cities sex toy shop as part of a sex education class.

An employee who answered the telephone at The Smitten Kitten shop on Tuesday said she could not discuss the visit and took a message for the manager, but parents of children who attend the Gaia Democratic School told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that they were miffed.

"It's just a major breach of trust," Lynn Floyd, the parent of an 11-year-old and 13-year who took part in the risque field trip, told the news organization. "You can't erase those images."

No one could be reached late Tuesday afternoon at the school, but Director Starri Hedges, who also teaches sex education, told the Star Tribune that she wanted to provide a safe way for students to learn about sex.

"What I saw happening on our trip, I thought it was beautiful because kids could talk to these sex educators without any shame, without any fear," Hedges said.

Hedges acknowledged that she might have communicated better to the parents, according to a Minnesota Public Radio news blog.

"It was certainly the first time we have taken that kind of field trip and it will probably be our last, which I feel bad (about) because the kids had so much fun," MPR quoted Hedges as saying.

The trip culminated a class that lasted several months.

Lloyd's children have been pulled out of the school.

The Smitten Kitten describes itself on its website as a "progressive sex toy store for everyone."

Featured Weekly Ad