Some North Texas parents say they are outraged about a school presentation by a motivational speaker on dating.
Justin Lookadoo spoke to Richardson High School students on Wednesday about relationships. The student body was split into two assemblies for the speech.
"We were sent to see a motivational speaker who was essentially lacing sexism in his humor," student Laney Lynn said.
"As a mom, for me it was hard to see that some girls and boys walked out of there feeling less than they are," parent Jennifer Richman said.
Lookadoo said he has never gotten such a response in the thousands of times he has spoken. He said he is aware people don't always agree with him but is just trying to teach students about relationships.
"It is empowering the student to actually take the control of the relationship," he said.
Parents and students were especially angered by what they found on Lookadoo's website -- his "dateable rules."
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One of the rules encourages girls to "be mysterious," saying that "dateable girls know how to shut up."
Parents said it was not a good message.
"He is trying to reinforce 75-year-old stereotypes," said parent John Richman.
Lookadoo said "dateable rules" was not part of his program at the school. He said he was told beforehand that he couldn't talk about religion and dating materials from his website.
The high school's principal, Charles Bruner, also said that in a recorded message for all parents. In the message, he also apologized for not giving parents advance notice about the speaker and said the school would in the future.
"It was not the intent of the assembly to offend anyone, and I apologize to those who were," he said.
