The parents of a group of second-graders at a public school in Brooklyn, N.Y., are outraged after finding out that their kids were changing alongside naked adults before and after a swim class that was routinely held at a Manhattan fitness club.
“Kids were seeing naked adults in the locker room. They don’t close the access to the public. Any member could come in. Adults could come in, change in the locker room while these kids are in the locker room at the same time,” one source told the New York Post. “Teachers are in the locker room as well. They see the kids naked. The kids see each other naked.”
Principal EuJin Tang reportedly initially told parents they could not opt their kids out of the class but later said the lessons were not mandatory.
Tang had earlier written a letter to parents back in June that touted the new program, which is offered by Asphalt Green, as a great opportunity for students, noting that it would provide them with “more real-world experiences” and “every second grader will learn how to swim.”
“Over the past 25 years, Asphalt Green’s Waterproofing program has provided free and low-cost weekly swimming lessons to tens of thousands of public school students, in an environment that is safe, educational, and fun,” an organization spokesman told the Post.
The organization said it offered the use of private family changing rooms to allay any concerns, however a Post source said kids still have to wait their turn in the communal locker room where adults are changing.
A Department of Education spokeswoman said that only two families opted out and that “swim lessons save lives, and this program helps ensure children, regardless of background, have access to them.”
