Blindfolding has been officially banned in the Los Angeles Unified School District in an effort to be hyper-vigilant after teacher Mark Berndt allegedly blindfolded and spoon-fed students his sperm, CBS reports.
A memo was sent to all LAUSD principals on Feb. 23 warning that blindfolding "may be perceived negatively" and should therefore not be used, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The ban will discontinue the district's fourth-grade reading lesson that uses blindfolds to teach about non-visual senses like smell, hearing and touch.
The Times also reported that an LAUSD school in North Hollywood stopped a teacher from conducting a 15-year-old science lesson that involves making butter. After the class makes the butter, the teacher traditionally allows them to eat it on crackers. However, the school's principal said that performing the lesson was not "wise" given the similarity to Berndt allegedly feeding his semen spread on cookies to students.
Berndt, who taught at Miramonte Elementary School, faces 23 counts of lewd acts and is pleading not guilty.
Attorneys representing 20 of Berndt's alleged victims are expected to release the claims, which date back to 1990 on Friday.