Family of girl, 12, sues after 'Brokeback' shown in class

[felixthecat]

Family of girl, 12, sues after 'Brokeback' shown in class

May 13, 2007
FROM SUN-TIMES WIRES

A suit was filed on behalf of a 12-year-old girl who claims she suffered psychological distress when a teacher showed in class the gay-themed movie "Brokeback Mountain."

The girl, Jessica Turner, and her grandparents Kenneth and LaVerne Richardson, are seeking more than $400,000 in damages under the suit filed Friday against the Chicago Board of Education and others.

According to the suit, a substitute teacher introduced herself as Ms. Buford to Jessica's class at Ashburn Community Elementary School, 8300 S. St. Louis Ave. She then said, "What happens in Ms. Buford's class stays in Ms. Buford's class," the suit claims. Buford then had a student close the door, and started showing the controversial R-rated film, which features two men engaged in sex.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/383097,CST-NWS-broke13.article

Pushing the "gay" agenda again ... but God forbide if you wear a tee shirt promoting what's Godly - being "straight". Then you'll get suspended. Of course God in any form in not allowed in the classroom ... but THIS is not only allowed but advocated.

Come soon Lord so these tender minds will not be soiled ... .

[tlword]

I would think a movie that is rated R should be widely known that it is not appropiate for children. :tsk

Homosexuality is not appropiate for anyone. :scripture

[SisterNChrist]

I totally agree 100% with you, tlword.:thumbup And I'm especially thrilled that Jessica's parents are suing Chicago's Board of Education and others for showing that disgusting film in her classroom too.

Let's hope and :pray that the Richardsons win a huge hefty sum from their law suit as well.:heh

[TheOddBall34]

Great about time someone did something. I would sue to kids are to young to be watching that without parents permission even with permission would you want your kids watching rated R movies? That is also insulting to people who follow christianity so we can say it goes against our beliefs. I was watching Charlotte's Web in class at that age. Next thing you know they will be showing porno's in class saying it is sex education. People are so dumb to think that kids are just going to be quiet. If I felt uncomfortable about something I always said something to my parents I did not care what people said. The girl really set an example for her class good for her. They are lucky I was not in that class. I guess they think that our parents mean nothing to us. I would listen to my parents instead of some screw ball teacher. This is why it is important you have a close relationship with your children you never know who will try to mess with their heads.

[springfield]

This story is odd. It doesn't mention what grade she's in or what class this was for, which I wonder, and it's not clear how much of the film was shown. It says the principal was aware so... did she just show a clip to demonstrate something about cowboys?

Clearly, it'd be inappropriate to just show the movie to 12-year-olds without doing a permission-slip thing, but the story is weird and makes me wonder what actually went on.

[TheOddBall34]

This story is odd. It doesn't mention what grade she's in or what class this was for, which I wonder, and it's not clear how much of the film was shown. It says the principal was aware so... did she just show a clip to demonstrate something about cowboys?

Clearly, it'd be inappropriate to just show the movie to 12-year-olds without doing a permission-slip thing, but the story is weird and makes me wonder what actually went on.

Which does not matter it is inappropriate period.

[springfield]

I think it matters, personally. If the teacher was discussing cowboys or the west or even fashion, or Alberta, there are plenty of perfectly innocent scenes in that movie that would be demonstrative and educational. Which is why I think it matters. If the teacher showed a five-minute scene in combination with a lecture on herding sheep or the Rockies or the west or the '60s or '70s or what have you, that's completely different from sitting the kids down and showing them the entire movie.

[TheOddBall34]

Then show them an old western with Clint Eastwood not some gay cowboy movie. There is an agenda behind this, and we are not stupid. I would not even show a 16 year old R rated movies. This is the reason I do not have cable.

[scrappergirl]

springfield,
are you serious?
you really think showing (clips, the whole movie, whatever)brokeback mountain in a class of 12 year olds (typically 6 or 7th grade) preceeded by a teacher telling kids that "what happen in my class stays in my class" could have POSSIBLY been an innocent instruction on cowboys?

PUHLEESE.

you're gonna have to try harder than that.

there are plenty of clean and non-divisive cinematic scenes of cowboys that could be used if the motive is purely teaching about western culture or cowboys. to defend using THIS particular movie is really pretty see through.

perhaps the schools should start using the Passion of Christ to teach about roman culture or something, eh?

[springfield]

I'm saying I don't know what went on, and the girl's story sounds odd to me. And... yeah, I think it's possible to use the movie to illustrate something totally innocent. Clint Eastwood westerns are 30 years old and I thought they were more... soapy westerns than realistic, but I don't know, I've never seen one.

I'm sure there are other things, sure, Frontier House is a wonderful show, though it's obviously not going to show modern life, heh. It will surely show scenes of the west, but I don't know, maybe the teacher had seen Brokeback Mtn and felt something was relevant. Maybe she was trying to push a social viewpoint and did something inappropriate. I don't know, is all I'm saying, and the story, as reported, sounds very strange to me.