In Watertown, New York, parents of seventh-graders at Case Middle School discovered that their children had been directed to view sexually graphic images during an art lesson. The assignment involved visiting the Keith Haring Foundation website, which includes works by the late artist known for depictions of explicit sexual acts. Teacher Bridgette Gates instructed the class to access the unvetted site, leading to pornographic content being projected on the classroom Smart Board.
When the explicit material appeared, Gates acknowledged that “some of them were inappropriate” but told the 12- and 13-year-old students to “be mature” and continue. The assignment lasted about two weeks in September 2025, counting toward grades, with no advance notice to parents, no opt-out option, and no alternative provided.
Parents Stephanie Boyanski and Jessy Roberts only learned of the exposure by chance while checking their children’s school-issued laptops. One mother noted that “the kids had to view these images to get to other images they could use for their project and their sketches, so there was no way around for these kids not to view these images.” Gates reportedly blamed the school’s IT department for not blocking the content.
The district responded with a message to parents claiming students had simply “come across inappropriate content,” a description the lawsuit calls misleading since the teacher assigned the site and required its use despite knowing the risks.
Outraged families turned to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which filed a federal lawsuit in December 2025 against the Watertown City School District, Superintendent Larry Schmiegel, and Gates. The suit argues the district violated parents’ constitutional rights to direct their children’s upbringing, citing Supreme Court precedents like Meyer v. Nebraska, Pierce v. Society of Sisters, Troxel v. Granville, and the recent Mahmoud v. Taylor (2025), which requires notice and opt-outs for sexually sensitive material.
At an October school board meeting, concerned parents faced a packed room of teachers union supporters who canceled after-school activities to attend. The union president dismissed the parents as “internet warriors,” while no board member addressed the issue directly. Gates was placed on leave but later reassigned to teach seventh-grade English, potentially interacting with the same students.
The Keith Haring Foundation has noted that some of the artist’s works may be inappropriate for younger audiences and provides a separate kid-friendly site with lesson plans advising teacher discretion on age appropriateness. Yet the main site, assigned here, includes the explicit imagery without filters.
This case fits a pattern where schools introduce mature sexual content without parental involvement, eroding family authority. The ACLJ seeks policy changes, including mandatory notifications, opt-outs, and counseling for affected children. Parents retain the primary role in guiding moral education, and schools overstep when they force exposure to such material on minors.
As the lawsuit proceeds, it serves as a reminder that protecting childhood innocence remains a fundamental duty, one that no educational agenda should override. Families across the country watch closely, hoping for accountability that restores trust in public schools.
