Virginia

‘It's Insulting': Moms Slam Virginia Back-to-School Ad as Sexist

"It really reinforced gender stereotypes that seem so far out of date"

A school system's advertisement promising to help moms who otherwise might let their "yoga pants get tied in a knot" is sparking anger among some mothers in Northern Virginia.

Loudoun County Public Schools published an ad for their smartphone app that asks "Are you that mom?" and describes a busy mother who needs help knowing her children's first day of school.

"The women I know that are mothers are strong, they're leaders, they're multitaskers," said Robin Scott, a working mother of two. "It's insulting."

"It really reinforced gender stereotypes that seem so far out of date," said Tia Walbridge, a working mother of two who also is running for office. She said the ad works against the values she's teaching her daughters. 

The ad shows a cartoon tiger with big sunglasses and a cup of coffee driving a car with a cub in the passenger seat. "Are you that mom?" the headline asks.

"The mom who is uncertain what the first day of school is but thinks it might be a Thursday. The mom who missed the PTA meeting. The mom who can't remember what time soccer practice ends," the text says.

The ad then explains the usefulness of the LCPS app, which has information on the school calendar, sports schedules, lunch menus, grades and more. The app "puts the most frequently used parent resources in one place on your smartphone," the ad says.

So, use the app and "don't let your yoga pants get tied in a knot this back-to-school season," the ad advises.

The school district pulled the ad and a similar video, and apologized to "anyone who might have been offended."

"We produced the video using broad satire, hoping people would not mind a little fun being poked at an outlandish depiction of the hectic lifestyle in our area," a statement from LCPS said.

The school said the ad received overall positive feedback on its Facebook page, but still pulled it four days after it was posted. 

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