In December 2004, Massey started two petitions to voice his disagreement regarding McGraw-Hill’s decision to revise health textbooks distributed in Texas schools.

Under pressure from members of the Texas State Board of Education, the publisher altered the textbook to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The new edition of the textbook also offers an abstinence-only approach to sex education, failing to present any information regarding contraception or protection from sexually transmitted diseases.

As of November 2005, McGraw-Hill has not made any changes as a result of Massey’s petitions. The publisher has stated that they believe they are obeying the law and the demands of the school board.

“Although the text was not changed, the petitions still encouraged public discourse around the influence that school boards at the state level can have on what is included in texts, and the significant influence a particular group of folks who are from a particular religious persuasion can have on the religious freedom on all of us,” Massey said. “The petitions certainly brought about public awareness.”