
An Arizona-based school district is in hot water after requiring female students to attend a speaking presentation that seemed sexist to some of those girls and their parents.
The speaker, Christian author and speaker Brad Henning, talked to students at Payson High School in Payson, Arizona about relationships — but for many, his message fell flat.
Henning spoke to all students at an assembly on Tuesday, September 27, then held separate assemblies for boys and girls the following day. The school required girls to attend the assembly during the school day, but the assembly for boys wasn't mandatory and took place after school.
It doesn't end there: The Payson Roundup reported that Henning told 350 girls at the mandatory assembly they should "make sure they do not turn on a guy by dressing or acting in a way that unleashes a guy's God-given sexual urges," and that boys can't control their "sexual appetites."
"The girl stands in the mirror and decides, 'OK, this is war' and she puts on spaghetti straps and mini skirts," Henning said, according to The Payson Roundup. "What do you want the guys to look at — your eyes?"
Meanwhile, the 25 boys who attended the voluntary presentation received information on how to secure a date with a girl. A lesson on consent was noticeably absent from the presentation.
"Out of 350 girls in this auditorium, guess how many were dating?" Henning reportedly asked the boys' group. "Forty-one. So, guys, any guy want a date tonight?"

Umm, excuse me?
photo: GiphyAfter Henning’s presentation, mixed response from parents and students flooded social media, according to The Phoenix New Times. Some defended Henning's presentation, while others shamed him and the school for reinforcing sexist, outdated ideas about relationships.
Henning's presentation sparked controversy this time, but it wasn't his first time presenting to the school. A statement from the Payson Unified School District said the district brought Henning after the "overwhelmingly positive response" to a previous assembly.
Henning's website (last updated in 2011) claims he's worked with middle school- through college-aged students over the last 30 years, and has worked full-time in delivering these relationship presentations for 22 years. In the case you haven't had the great pleasure of experiencing one of Henning's talks in person over the last two decades, here are some of the highlights you've missed, taken directly from his website:
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