Would you sue a school if they showed your child Brokeback Mountain ?

Question

Well the Chicago Board of Education is being sued because a Teacher showed Brokeback Mountain in class .

See link - http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,271935,00.html

Question - Would you sue or do you think it is alright for children 12 and under to see this film ?

Please no gay bashing as I like intelligent and honest answers .

Answer 1

Oh please..."What happens in Ms. Buford's class stays in Ms. Buford's class,"...right. Lets stop beating around the bush here. That statement alone says a couple of things. First she knew it was wrong and second she thought she could trust her students. I don't think the ratings are nearly as important as the motive of this teacher is. This movie equates to soft porn and this is a known method of many teachers to go on what I call hunting expeditions or fishing in their class. They introduce the kids to some soft porn and watch for the ones they think are actually getting turned on, then they go after them. We all know that child predators choose professions that center around children. The problem isn't just male sex predators either. Female predator/teachers are rapidly becoming a huge problem and as I understand the teacher was a female. The movie Brokeback Mountain while it is tastefully done still has some pretty sexually explicit scenes.
What happened here probably amounts to nothing more than a child sex predator in action. Do a little research as I have on "teachers gone wild" and you will see for yourself. I must warn you this web page is pretty graphic.
http://coletrain.org/labels/TeacherSex.html
And no I don't think the school should be sued. It wasn't their fault but I do think schools need to wake-up.

Answer 2

While I feel that the film has an undeniably benevolent message, I have to say that due to its graphic content, mature context and overall adult theme that children 12 and under shouldn't be subjected to it quite yet.

It doesn't have anything to do with homosexuality. The movie is rated 'R'. The teacher is not qualified to decide wether or not the children in question should watch it. That's a parent's decision.

Now, if there had been waivers involved or permission slips, then I could get on board... but only just barely. Because really, how unimaginitive have educators become that they can't make a point without using someone else's words? What's next, teaching math by making kids watch "Stand and Deliver"?

Bad teacher, no donut for you.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Would I sue? No. Do I think this was a smart move on the part of the teacher? No again.

As has been pointed out, this film is rated "R" which means that children are not permitted to see it unless accompanied by a parent. If the teacher had a reason for showing this film, he/she should have sent home a letter to the parents explaining why this film was important to a particular lesson, and should also have included a permission slip to be signed by the parents.

Those students who had the permission slips could then see the film, and the rest could be put in a study-hall somewhere else during that period.

I understand why you warned against gay-bashing. This would be an easy target. But honestly, this has nothing to do with gay or straight -- it's about common sense. I'd be just as concerned about a teacher showing Fellini's "Satyricon" to a bunch of kids studying Roman history. It was just stupid, that's all; and it could have been very easily avoided simply by asking for permission.

Cheers, mate.

Answer 4

Wow, Brokeback mountain is definatly an inapropriate movie to show children under the age twelve.. Its a movie for people over the age of 18, who understand what gay relationships are, and understand the situation of the movie... What is a child under the age of twelve going to understand about those issues... This would influence their minds at some point, They should not see a movie with a sex scene, much less a sex scene two men.. I would not sue the teacher, I would simply adress my concern for the teacher showing a movie with an R rating to childrens... I would really be concerned, perhaps pull my children out of the class.. I would not want a teacher to show my child a movie with an R rating, without my consent... My child does not need to watch those movies until they are of age, and understand what gay relationships are about, and about sex... They will get the wrong ideas, if they watch those movies at that age... Suing, is a extreme action, but i would definatly adress the issue to the school board, and talk to the teacher..

Answer 5

The film is rated R. That means that no one under the age of 17 is to view it without the presence (or at least the permission) of a parent or guardian. That 12-year-old's guardians were not there and were not informed.

Simple fact is, the teacher screwed up, and the school board didn't do anythign about it. Seems that the child's grandparents are calling them on it.

According to the article, this is not the first time these people have had this problem in this school.

I would sue them.

Answer 6

Well, "Brokeback Mountain" recieved an MPAA rating of R... so if the teacher showed the movie to minors under the age of 17, it WOULD be worthy of legal action.

If the teacher showed it to 12 year olds it would in fact be criminal perhaps...

Having read the article I think the subsutite teacher should be fired... though I do LAUGH at the guardians seeking a half million.

I have nothing against gay-folks... but am sick of having it TAUGHT in school.

Answer 7

Were they under 12? Doesn't that movie have a pg-13 or R rating? That would disturb me, but I would not sue. I would take it up with the proper board and make sure that the teacher would be terminated with no future possibility of teaching again. I don't even understand why they would choose that movie to show in school anyway.

Answer 8

First, what was the age of the child watching the movie---are we talking about a 5 year old that has no way to process the movie or a 17 year old that can? Secondly, I think the intent of the teacher was good--expose the kids to issues of diversity--get them thinking about where they stand on "the gay issue", make them learn to think for themselves and figure out how to logically back up their arguments. On the other hand, the teacher must have known that there would be at least one kid or parent that would be offended by the movie. Perhaps she/he should have considered sending home a waiver form allowing the students to watch the movie if it was approved of by their parents and providing an alternative for the kids who did not get the approval. This may have circumvented the legal issues or at least given the school district more of a leg to stand on. Just some thoughts....

Answer 9

Well for starters, that movie has sex scenes in it, so no just based on that I don't think it's right to show children that movie. I have seen the movie, and it's actually not a bad love story, though I am not crazy about the fact that it's about two gay men. I don't even understand why they would show that movie in a school. What is the educational purpose of it? The least that teacher could have done was sent something home with her students for their parents to give permission for them to see the movie. People now have issues with having God in our schools, but now its becoming acceptable to show children movies with some rather graphic sex scenes? This world has definitely gone insane.

Answer 10

I don't think it is right for a school to show children of any age any non-educational film without parental consent.

And I would not sue. It does not accomplish anything. I would kill everyone involved and hang them by their entrails from the parking lights.