GORHAM – Policy changes regulating presentations in Gorham schools by non-school organizations could be in the works following a recent Diversity Day at Gorham Middle School that turned sour.

The situation unfolded two weeks ago during a presentation to Gorham eighth-graders by the Proud Rainbow Youth of Southern Maine, known by the acronym PRYSM.

Some explicit sexual content by a PRYSM speaker at the presentation’s end was brought to the attention of Gorham Middle School Principal Robert Riley, who sent an apology letter home to parents. A presentation about sexism and violence, according to Riley’s letter, was one of several that day at the school, with a theme of appreciation and tolerance of diversity.

PRYSM is a program of the Community Counseling Center. According to its website, it “provides a safe and positive space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and allied youth, offering social support, leadership development, psycho-education about common problems facing youth and community education.”

Gorham school officials now have banned the group from speaking in its schools.

Meanwhile, an upset parent, Kristy Howard, plans to attend a regular meeting of Partners in Education at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, in the library at Gorham Middle School to address the matter. Howard said she appreciates the principal’s apology letter.

“It never should have happened in the first place,” Howard said.

“Parents are now calling for (Riley’s) head,” James Hager, chairman of the Gorham School Committee, said Tuesday, but Hager does not favor censuring or removing Riley because the incident was not intentional.

Hager said the matter arose when a lecturer from the group responded after asking students if they had instructions about safe sex. Hager said the students did not pose the question.

Howard said her 13-year-old son had told her a speaker at the school used an obscene word and talked explicitly about a sexual practice.

“It was one presenter who went too far,” Howard said.

Howard said that teachers were concerned and reported the matter to Riley.

“I am both saddened and sorry to say that we may have failed in meeting our goals in one presentation. When we create these days, we strive to make experiences meaningful and educational for our students and to challenge them to become productive and positive members of our society,” Riley wrote to parents. “We do not intend to expose them to ideas that are not within the scope of our teaching about responsible citizenship as it is embedded in our code of conduct.”

“One of the groups has presented to our students for the past couple of years and they have done a very responsible job in helping our students to understand the power of their words. Today, they went beyond the scope of our intentions and discussed topics that we do not deem appropriate for our middle school,” Riley wrote in his letter.

Riley’s letter did not name any group and did not disclose the language used by the presenter. Neither did Hager.

But, said Hager, “teachers were in such shock. Everyone just froze.”

Hager said that PRYSM had participated successfully at Gorham schools in the past.

“We had a comfort level in bringing them back,” Hager said. “We don’t anymore.”

Mary Jane Krebs, president and CEO of the Community Counseling Center, said in a statement the organization is “looking into all concerns raised, and will address them.”

Erin Smith, director of development and communications for the Community Counseling Center, declined to name the individual presenter at the Gorham school.

“We’re taking this matter seriously and our review will be thorough,” Smith said.

Hager, who did not run for re-election, said perhaps the School Committee should consider a closer review of presenters, requiring a script in advance of presentations “as a safety net.”

“It can’t be carte blanche after this incident,” Hager said.

Riley wrote in his apology letter to parents that a thorough review would be conducted and with a goal that such an incident would not happen again.