Art Teacher Loses Job After Kids See Nude Sculpture

The Indy Channel ^ | September 26, 2006 | AP

[Abathar]

Children Were On School-Approved Field Trip

FRISCO, Texas -- A award-winning Texas art teacher who was reprimanded after one of her fifth-grade students saw a nude sculpture during a trip to a museum has lost her job.

The school board in Frisco has voted not to renew Sydney McGee's contract after 28 years. She has been on administrative leave.

The teacher took her students on an approved field trip to a Dallas museum, and now some parents are upset.

The Fisher Elementary school art teacher came under fire last April when she took 89 fifth graders on a field trip to the Dallas Museum of Art. Parents raised concerns over the field trip after their children reported seeing a nude sculpture at the art museum.

The parents had signed permission slips allowing their children to take part in the field trip.

McGee's lawyer said the principal at Fisher Elementary School admonished her after a parent complained that a student had seen nude art.

McGee said the principal had urged her to take the students to the museum.

Now, McGee, who was honored with a Star Teacher Award two years ago, is on paid administrative leave until her contract with the school district expires in March.

Other parents are worried about the future of the art program at the school, which they cite as a reason for moving into the neighborhood.

"Our main concern right now is what's going to happen to the children and what's going to happen to the art program at Fisher Elementary. It is the best art program. That's the reason we moved to this neighborhood. It's because of the teachers," said Shannon Allen, parent. "It was a principal approved trip. What's the big deal?"

Officials with the Frisco school district declined to comment on the matter.

[Sertorius]

lol! I read that too quickly. The link looked like dallas museum o fart.

[EBH]

Gee... I wonder if they saw David?

[Blue Jays]

Hi RWA-

"...Compare the 2 pics..."

There is only one picture in your post, so FReepers can't make a before & after comparison. It would probably be best to post the images side by side.

~ Blue Jays ~

[steve-b]

it fits the trope of "evil Bowdlerizing Southern Christians"

The question is whether the general population of Southern Christians have done enough to denounce the extremist element among them.

[flyingtabby]

I suppose if it were that recent bust of Shrillary I could understand the fracas. I grew up in the Cleveland area and we took field trips on a regular basis to the Art Museum (one of the best in the US), the Symphony - how many people could say they heard the Cleveland Orchestra under the direction of George Szell when they were in school - and so forth. It was a great addition to our education. We had a good art program in our schools but that wasn't the point - the point was seeing the great masters and being given an understanding of what makes artistic expression great. And yeah, there were plenty of nude statues. Not a la John Mapplethorpe porn pictures, but the classics such as Michelangelo's "David" or what have you. Some parents need to lighten up or not let their kid go on the field trip if they find REAL art offensive, instead of ruining the career of a good teacher.

[Slings and Arrows]

Agreed on all points. Using technicalities to get rid of a PITA is a time-honored tradition.

[Domandred]

Follow up article: Dallas Morning News

Ms. McGee, who has taught in various Texas districts for 28 years, said she visited the museum and spoke with museum staffers before the trip to ensure that it was appropriate for the fifth-grade class. Ms. McGee said she does not know which piece of art offended the parent, and the district did not identify it.

Sigh...so what was the problem?

[CindyDawg]

That what I was wondering. Was a little sex ed thrown in?

[TWfromTEXAS]

I suspect this was a more explicit piece of art.

In the DALLAS art museum? Yea right.

[King of Florida]

This article smells a little fishy...as in an attempt to make a particular "group" appear as kooky as possible.

You betcha, it's just soooo unfair to Philistines.

[durasell]

Every major museum has a guy/gal who deals with schools. They're not idiots and not going to run them through a Mapplethorpe exhibit or give them a detailed analysis of Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle. A perky tour guide is gonna show them a bunch of so-so classic art

[flying Elvis]

I would have to see the sculpture first. I went to the Hirshhorn in DC last year and was not quite prepared for Ron Mauck's sculpture. lol I can imagine what parents of some six year old have to say after walking in on that big fellow. http://images.google.com/images?q=Ron+Mueck&ie=ISO-8859-1&hl=en

[MortMan]

Like these parents, that guy doesn't have a leg to stand on! ;-P

[andy58-in-nh]

Probably about the same time the Greek Goddess statues in the Great Hall at the Dept of Justice were deemed too unsavory for a certain A.G.

If it was Janet Reno, I would guess the statutes must have dampened something other than her spirits.

[Domandred]

lol! I read that too quickly. The link looked like dallas museum o fart.

Yep I did the exact same thing :)

[areafiftyone]

Thanks for the follow up! I guess the little kids overreacted to seeing ancient nude statues. Sometimes kids can over exaggerate things.

[BurbankKarl]

[Cicero]

Regretable. With all the trashy sex-ed courses and anti-religious teaching that goes on in our public schools, this bunch of loony parents want to fire an art teacher over something stupid like showing them an example of classic nudity in art.

[Warren_Piece]

These parents that are so upset need to learn the difference between naked and nude.

True story: earlier this year, my 8-year old daughter and I had a conversation about Tennessee colloquialisms. I asked her, "What's the difference between 'nekkid' and 'nay-kid'?"

She didn't hesitate - and said, "Naked is when you don't have any clothes on. Nekkid is when you don't have any clothes on -- and you're gettin' into trouble!"

Dang, I love that girl! (She's an artist by the way).

[steve-b]

Art museums are like that. I would have thought the parents were aware of that when they signed the permission slips.

I have a mental image of this goober assuming that the museum would be dedicated to the "velvet Elvis" and "canine poker" schools of art.