The Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind board approved an updated human sexuality education curriculum at its meeting after members voted to remove two specific consent videos and asked staff to return with follow‑up information by the March 7 board meeting.

The vote followed a multi‑hour presentation from Superintendent Michelle Tanner and a committee review led by curriculum director Amy Breinholt. Board members and parents raised concerns about accessibility for deaf students, the clarity of sign language in commercially produced videos and whether materials produced by outside groups should remain on the district’s resource list.

The committee that developed the materials included parents and school staff from multiple USDB campuses and reviewed items listed in the state materials repository (RIMS), according to Tanner. "This is a very important topic," Tanner told the board as she outlined the committee process and special accessibility needs for deaf and hard‑of‑hearing students. The committee noted a lack of videos produced specifically for deaf students with clear American Sign Language (ASL) presentation rather than an interpreter inset, and it recommended parent resources and vetted materials where possible.

Board discussion focused on two types of concerns: whether particular videos were appropriate for the USDB population and whether some items were produced by external entities the board preferred not to promote. Member Earl moved to remove two consent videos from the approval list; Member Booth seconded. Members described the deleted items as confusing for many USDB students and flagged imagery and production sources as problematic. Several board members and parents urged that if videos are used they should be directly signed for deaf students or produced by USDB with vetted ASL presentation.

Member Booth said, "Consent — saying no — is very straightforward," arguing that any material used for students at USDB must be clear and directly accessible. Multiple board members supported the idea of creating USDB‑specific videos with approved ASL, and staff said they have in‑house videography and interpreters and could produce tailored material if prioritized.

The board divided the item and first approved removal of a video titled (on the materials list) "2 minutes will change the way you think about consent" by a tally of 10 in favor, 3 opposed and 1 abstention; the three opposing votes and the abstention were recorded by name in the meeting notes. The board then approved removal of a second consent item (the "tea" consent video) 11–2 with one abstention. Board members also noted that two additional videos on the list had already been recommended for removal by the advisory council because they were produced by Planned Parenthood.

After debate and several amendments, the board approved the USDB human sexuality education curriculum as amended. The final motion directing approval passed 12–2. The board also adopted a direction that USDB staff report back at the March 7 board meeting on "efforts to address content that was excluded," including whether the material can be replaced with in‑house videos or other accessible resources.

Superintendent Tanner and curriculum staff emphasized that instruction had been paused pending board approval. Tanner said the committee had deliberately included parents from all campuses and had vetted materials against applicable Utah code and board rules. Parents on the committee had prioritized clear ASL, direct language (rather than analogies or metaphors) and parent resources to help families who said they lacked the subject knowledge to answer detailed questions themselves.

Board members and staff discussed funding and timing for in‑house videos. Member Earl suggested enrichment funds and USDB staff resources could likely produce tailored material within a few months; staff said they could probably produce a quality video by June if prioritized but that it would not be ready within four weeks.

The board’s action leaves the approved curriculum in place but removes the named consent videos from the USDB materials list; staff must return to the board on March 7 with details on how excluded content will be addressed and any proposed resources for ASL‑native presentation.

Provenance: The board’s conversation and votes on the USDB human sexuality education curriculum began when the board moved to "agenda item 5, Utah School for the Deaf and Blind" and concluded when the chair closed agenda item 5 and adjourned the USDB portion of the meeting. This article cites presentation remarks from Superintendent Michelle Tanner and curriculum director Amy Breinholt, public committee descriptions, and recorded board motions and roll‑call vote results.

Ending: The board kept the state‑level curriculum materials as a resource but made clear it will press USDB staff to replace or rework materials that are not directly accessible to deaf students; staff will return to the board on March 7 with a plan to address the excluded items.