Monday, May 14, 2007

Sub Shows Brokeback Mountain to Eighth Graders

Regardless of your feelings about the content of Brokeback Mountain, it seems like showing an R-rated movie to 13- and 14-year-olds is a bad idea.

A girl and her grandparents have sued the Chicago Board of Education, alleging that a substitute teacher showed the R-rated film "Brokeback Mountain" in class.

The lawsuit claims that Jessica Turner, 12, suffered psychological distress after viewing the movie in her eighth-grade class at Ashburn Community Elementary School last year...

According to the lawsuit filed Friday in Cook County Circuit Court, the video was shown without permission from the students' parents and guardians. Richardson had previously complained to school officials about reading material he said contained curse words.

I have a problem with some of the movies teachers think are appropriate for students anyway. I know there are plenty of parents who allow their 12-year-olds to watch R-rated movies, but it doesn't make sense for teachers to show that sort of bad judgement, does it?