Students Given Math Problem About Sexual Assault at Pennsylvania High School

Ah, high school. A time for reading, parties at Kyle’s house, and of course, inappropriate math questions. At least, that’s what happened at a high school in Pennsylvania, when students were asked to solve an equation about a girl who was sexually assaulted by a family member.

As KYW-TV reports, Pennridge High School in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, has apologized over a homework assignment given to students that stated, “Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s ___ at age 8, which shaped her career choices and motivation for writing.” The students were tasked with figuring out if the assailant was Angelou’s mother’s boyfriend, brother, or father. It appears the question may have related to Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Unsurprisingly, several parents complained to the Pennridge School District over the absurd equation, prompting the district to apologize and explain that the problem was “downloaded from a website that allows teachers around the world to share educational resources.” The district added that the equation isn’t part of its approved curriculum.

This post has been updated.

High School Gives Students Math Problem About Sexual Assault