SHALLOWATER, Texas — The Shallowater Independent School District outside of Lubbock, Texas pulled an assignment after one of its teacher sent high schoolers home with a "chivalry" assignment that instructed female students to "obey" and "clean up after the men."
In order to receive points on their "Rules for Chivalry" assignment, female students attending the English class at Shallowater High School had to complete the following at school and at home:
“Ladies must dress in a feminine manner to please the men (Must be within school dress code).”
“Ladies must address all men respectfully by title, with a lowered head and curtsy.”
“Ladies must not complain or whine.”
“Ladies must cook (preferably not buy) something for the gentlemen in their class. Sweet baked goods are preferable.”
“Ladies must not initiate conversations with males (with the exception of male teachers).”
“Ladies must walk behind men daintily as if their feet were bound.”
“Outside the classroom, ladies cannot show intellectual superiority if it would offend the men around them.”
“Ladies should clean up after the men.”
“Ladies must obey any reasonable request of a male. If not sure if it is considered reasonable, ladies can check with their teachers.”
“Ladies must bring in root beer, ginger ale or sparkling cider for the gentlemen in their class.”
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The assignment was posted to Facebook and has since went viral. The teacher who made the assignment wasn't named, but was revealed to be a woman by a student.
"The ladies... will demonstrate to the school how the code of chivalry and standards set in the medieval concept of courtly love carries into the modern day," the assignment reads. "...Fathers and other adult males may insist on following the rules into evening."
Colin Tynes Lain, an 18-year-old in the class, told Today "it was worded very vulgarly. It's a very controversial topic and a very touchy topic."
Lain continued to describe the female teacher as a feminist.
"I think she was just trying to find a different way to teach us about this topic. So the men in our class honestly could kind of see how it really was to be a woman in the 1300s," he told Today.
Male students were also given their own chivalry assignment. They were instructed to help women to their seats, rise when a woman enters the room and bow to them when greeting her, pay for all expenses while on a date and call all female students and female faculty "Milady."
"This assignment has been reviewed, and despite its historical context, it does not reflect our district and community values," Superintendent of Schools Anita Hebert said in a statement.