The Family Life Advisory Committee of Frederick County Public Schools on Wednesday discussed a proposed definition of “sexually explicit media” and asked staff to return with a revised version designed to support the Health 1 objective on healthy relationships.

Committee members said the definition matters because it will guide classroom discussion of media, books, music and images and determine what materials teachers use when discussing relationship expectations, consent and the risks of sharing images. Members emphasized that the definition must be precise enough to be useful in the classroom but not so broad that it could be used to exclude works of literature or artistic expression that are taught for legitimate educational reasons.

Discussion focused on three recurring tensions: whether the definition should require that material be intended to arouse the audience or merely elicit arousal; whether the term should cover depiction as well as description; and how to treat media that involve minors, such as sexting and sharing of images. Members suggested explicitly including media formats (video, images, audio, written material) in the definition so teachers know what to look for in classroom materials and lessons. Several committee members warned that an overbroad definition could be used to challenge books or other instructional materials whose sexual content appears within a broader literary or historical context.

Committee members also noted that the curriculum contains two separate objectives: one that addresses how media can shape expectations about relationships (Health 1) and a second that addresses sharing sexually explicit material involving minors (Health 2). Members said the Health 2 objective is already clearer and tied to state statute definitions, while the Health 1 objective needs a practical definition that can be used when examining media in class.

After extended discussion, committee members agreed that staff would redraft the proposed language to focus the definition for Health 1 on “media that depict or describe sexual behavior in ways that can distort students’ understanding of healthy relationships” while keeping the Health 2 text and related protocols for minors intact. Committee members asked staff to return the revised wording and supporting teacher resources at the next meeting so the committee can finalize guidance for classroom use.

Next steps: staff will circulate the redrafted definition in advance of the next meeting; committee members said they want sample lesson language and examples teachers can use when discussing intent and context with students.