'Sexist' quote removed from Texas school wall after social media backlash

Credit: Sophia_Nicholas / Pixabay.com

Credit: Sophia_Nicholas / Pixabay.com

A Texas school has removed a controversial quote from one of its walls after it sparked complaints on social media.

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According to the Houston Chronicle, the quote, which read, "The more you act like a lady, the more he'll act like a gentleman," had been on display above a row of lockers at Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, which serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The words are "commonly attributed to Sydney Biddle Barrows," aka the "Mayflower Madam," who pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution in the 1980s, USA Today reported.

A photo of the quote made the rounds on social media Friday.

"This is the wall at Gregory-Lincoln Middle School in Houston ISD," Twitter user Lisa Beckman wrote, according to USA Today. "It's perpetuating horrible gender stereotypes, shaming women, and relinquishing boys of all responsibility. It's sexist, mysogonistic (sic), and discriminatory! I'm horrified."

>> See the tweet here

Beckman's tweet quickly went viral, with nearly 9,000 shares and 23,000 likes by Sunday morning.

KTRK reported Saturday that the quote had been taken down.

"Please be advised that the quote on the wall of Gregory Lincoln PK-5 Education Center has been removed," the Houston Independent School District said in a statement. "Overnight, the wall decal letters were taken down, the wall was floated out, and new slab of drywall was installed and painted."

School board member Diana Davila tweeted a photo of the blank wall Saturday.

"This was removed last night," she wrote. "Thanks to the people who brought it to our attention."

>> See the tweet here

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