Brokeback Mountain In School?

I'm sure $400,000 dollars will help her get over her "trauma." Sounds like bullshit all the way around.

Yeah, I don't disagree about the stupidity of the claims of the suit itself, but I don't like the idea of a "professional" teacher showing this or any other R rated movie in an 8th grade classroom when they are supposed to be teaching.

At the very least this teacher should be fired. Movies have a rating system for a reason, and an R rated film is in no way appropriate for a classroom.

At the very least this teacher should be fired.

If she's a sub, I'm sure she won't be back.

I had to write a permission slip for my 5th grade son to see Hoot at school and it was rated PG.

That's the way it would have been handled back in the days before Common Sense died. Nowadays if anyone gets slighted they run callin' their lawyer.

As well you should. It's your child not the school's.

True enough, but there is some indication that these parents have had past problems with inappropriate material (at least to them) in this school.

I do not buy into this lawsuit crazed society we have become, but in some situations it is a legitimate course of action. I don't know enough about this one to say it is or it isn't. Probably isn't though.

Like I said when I was discussing the idea of suing the city...I hate lawsuits as well, but since the law says I can't shoot 'em, I have to have some recourse.

This may not be the best recourse, but legally, it's probably one of few options. I mean, religion is banned in school, it seems strange that any rational person would green light controversial movies like Brokeback Mountain.

Heh, when I was in high school the SUPERINTENDENT showed Boyz n the Hood in his GEOMETRY class. And he slept during the movie.

I didn't get a very good edumacation.

I would have used the word stupid in lieu of strange, but agree otherwise.

I find this sort of thing inexcusable. Parents do not send their children to school to watch crappy Hollywood movies, they send them to get at least a modicum of education.

And people can't figure out why our students continue to fall behind those of other, poorer countries.

I can see using "G" rated movies for an EARNED reward for good behavior or something very, VERY sporadically, but BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN? In 8th grade?

I know I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer by any means, but I had to watch it twice to really understand it. And I'm 26. I guess 14 year olds probably know more about things of that nature than I do anyway.

Substitute teachers should have lesson plans left for them by the regular teacher, and if, for some reason there isn't, there's usually some sort of teachers manual available or some sort of book where you can make copies of worksheets or something. I'm not all about worksheets, but at least the kids would be doing something other than watching an "R" rated movie in school. At the very, very, very least, a substitute can let kids have a STUDY hall where they can do homework from other classes or read or something, as long as it's quiet and they're doing something semi-constructive. Or play a review game or something. Crap on a cracker! Ugh!

That's really my entire point here. It isn't about the specific movie, but that any R rated movie was being shown to 12 year olds, which isn't even legal.

When I worked as a sub, I had a notebook full of lesson plans and activities I had put together for different grades in case there were no lesson plans (kids doing busy work worksheets doesn't really cut it; that's a recipe for bad behavior) or the kids completed everything and had too much free time.

I am sure if same teacher showed the 10 commandments in school people would be crawling from under their rocks to scream in outrage about this. But hey show a movie about two sheephearder men fucking each other and nope not a ripple in the press.

am sure if same teacher showed the 10 commandments in school people would be crawling from under their rocks to scream in outrage about this. But hey show a movie about two sheephearder men fucking each other and nope not a ripple in the press.

Sad.  And true.  Let us book mark this for the next attempt to show how the MSM is so unbiased.

Isn't that what's supposed to be going on in a classroom? Teaching?

Yeah this did at least get a mention on AP and Fox, perhaps some others (but I haven't seen them), but it certainly didn't create the national media feeding frenzy something like you describe most certainly would.

Perhaps it did make a bit more of a splash in the Chicago area, I don't know. I didn't see it mentioned at all on the national networks though.

It's not a very juicy story. Teacher shows restricted (ie illegal) movie to students, gets sued. Ho-hum. That kind of thing is 'dog bites man'. It might get some local coverage but not much beyond that. Now if the class strapped the teacher down in a chair and forced him/her to watch Brokeback Mountain it would get a press frenzy - that's 'man bites dog' material!

Ho-hum to some, including the media it seems, but a good indicator of a lot of what's wrong with our whole education system.

yes and Amen. It is not education, and R rated movies do not belong in school.

No, they do not.

Last time I complained to a teacher for showing an R rated movie in class, she condescendingly asked me if I wouldn't be happier with my kids in private school.

Apparently to some "open-minded" people, the only kids who belong in public schools are those with no morals or standards... at least those seem to be the ones "they" want to support.

Sounds about right. Perhaps it's time to clean out the school system and start over again. The attitude of that teacher is what leads to our court systems being clogged with otherwise stupid suits.

I am so tired of teachers complaining about lack of respect.. students not trying, parents not involved... not enough $... Well, this is the very reason. Crappy teachers too lazy to do their work. Supposedly there are now standard tests teachers must pass to be able to teach. Why isn't it followed up? This crap about no one helping the teachers.. well they work 9 months a year.. I would love to work 9 months a year.. and get paid for 12. But I have to work 12 months,, and if I don't do my job.. I'm out on my ear.

Private schools do educate better. I've seen the proof in my own daughter. No one cares anymore.. no religion, no spankings, and teachers who do not care. I'll gladly help send my grandkids to private schools. It's worth it in the end.