'If You Knew You Were Crazy Or Going To Become Crazy Would You Marry?': Middle School Homework Assignment Worries Sandwich Mom
CHICAGO (CBS) -- "If you knew you were crazy or going to become crazy, would you marry? Why or why not?"
Questions about mental health using the word crazy and others dealing with death, crime and plastic surgery have one parent in Sandwich concerned a homework assignment for her 11-year-old son went too far.
The principal said the goal of the questions, involving a play the students are reading, was to spark discussion and critical thinking.
"The insensitivity, saying crazy in a day when we're pushing mental illness and awareness, I'm just flabbergasted," said Nancy Sondgeroth.
Other questions on the assignment included, "When is it ok for someone to die?" and "Do you as an ordinary citizen have a duty to report a crime? Why or why not?" and "What is your opinion of plastic surgery?"
Sondgeroth's son Brock was to answer the questions for his speech and debate class at Sandwich Middle School before reading the play "Arsenic and Old Lace."
Sondgeroth thought the questions were inappropriate for her 11-year-old.
With his mother by his side CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot asked him what he thought about the questions.
"I didn't, like, understand them," he said.
Brock said he didn't know what plastic surgery is.
His mother had to explain the questions to Brock for him to write answers.
"I'm sure it's not as controversial as some other books and plays can be," she said. "But I think that it definitely needs to be reevaluated."
The principal told CBS 2 the school will be looking more closely at questions and how they're worded in the future.