8mm
Posted on 10/30/2006 5:46:15 AM PST by paltz
(CBS4) FT. LAUDERDALE An art teacher at a Fort Lauderdale charter school is facing indefinite suspension after showing a self-made documentary on ‘good and evil’ to a group of 10 and 11 year old students, featuring gory abortion scenes. Some students and parents complained, and the school objected, but teacher Marc Greenblum says he has no regrets in showing the graphic video.
The film was shown approximately two weeks ago in Greenblum’s art class at the Downtown Academy of Technology and Arts, a charter school funded with tax dollars and under the oversight of the Broward County School Board.
The video, as described by parents who saw it with school officials, included graphic images of the Holocaust, 9/11, and the Ku Klux Klan, among others, and juxtaposed them with extremely graphic images which were allegedly from abortions.
School officials declined to allow CBS4 to view the video, saying they wanted it first to be viewed by Broward County School District administrators, but one student shared his memories of the presentation.
“It was very gory, and all red all over the place,” said one 11-year-old student whose identity is being withheld by cbs4.com at the request of his parents.
“I don’t have any regrets for having shown it and presented it,” teacher Greenblum said Thursday, admitting that even he found the abortion video in the documentary disturbing enough to make him cry. Some of his students said the video was upsetting.
“There was this disturbing picture of a baby’s hand reaching out from the Mom’s stomach and grabbing the doctor’s finger, and there was a baby in a bucket,” the boy said, describing the film played to his art class by Greenblum.
“It’s just so graphic, and I broke down in tears,” said parent Joan Daniel, whose son attends the school and viewed the documentary. Daniel said she viewed the video for the first time Thursday, after her son complained to her, and she complained to the school.
The film was made with the knowledge of the school, and even featured an interview with the school’s principal, according to parents who viewed the video. However, school officials say they were unaware of the full content of the final product and had not authorized its presentation to students.
“He should not have shown this,” said principal Jim DiSebastian, who suspended Greenblum Thursday after CBS4 News began investigating reports of the video’s classroom presentation.
Daniel said she was upset it took two weeks for the school to show her and another parent the video after they complained, and in that time, other parents were not notified the film had been shown, and teacher Greenblum continued to meet with students. When they viewed the video Thursday, the school has yet to take action against Greenblum, and she was at a loss to understand why.
“Someone that’s an educator should know that this is not acceptable, should already know what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable, and this is way over the line,” Daniel told CBS4’s Evan Bacon in an exclusive interview.
“There are consequences,” said DiSebastian, “and he didn’t think, and it can’t ever happen again.”
But despite the objection of his employers, Greenblum remains unapologetic for showing his young students the graphic and bloody images without the permission of the school or their parents.
“I regret maybe showing it a little prematurely,” Greenblum said, “but having done it, no, and having shown it and educating them and maybe it will change their lives, and they’ll say ‘hey, I saw that' and they’ll talk with someone why may be considering it, and then they can actually touch other lives that way, no, how could you say I would regret that, no.”
Not all parents objected to the video. Some gathered at the school Thursday and spoke in defense of Greenblum, saying they believe students need to know about ‘evil’ in the world.
“Instead of keeping them in the dark”, said one parent, “Might as well they be exposed to everything. That’s my opinion. I have no regret.”
The film was turned over to the Broward County School Board, which controls the charter under which the Downtown Academy of Technology and Arts operates. The Academy receives tax dollars for every student enrolled, and most follow all state laws and meet state and county requirements to keep its charter.
Thursday, school officials said they were looking into the situation but had no immediate reaction.
At least one parent was reported to have withdrawn her child from the school over the incident.
Excellent post. Teaching a respect for life is so important at an early age.
Just wanted to make sure you all emphasized UNFORTUNATELY, on my last post.
They are if they're in a public school.
I wouldn't want my 10 yo kid to see a film like that. Sorry, the teacher's flat-our wrong.
You can teach your kid the basic realities of abortion without showing him gory, limb-ripping, gut-dripping video at a young age.
Abortion is the most common 'surgery' in the United States. Why not enlighten people as to what this very common 'procedure' entails?
Ever try to soothe the nightmares of a kid who saw the poster-sized, dismembered baby photos at a Pro-Life rally?
For example...?
And the "R" rating stands for "No one under 17 admitted unless accompanied by parent or adult guardian." Without parental consent, teachers don't qualify as a parent or guardian to make choices as to what should/shouldn't be shown in school to other people's children.
We were shown abortion films as part of CSR in 9th grade. Very graphic films. Should be shown as adjunct to sex education just as those auto crash films are shown in driver's ed.
Sex is how we all got here, should teachers show porn, too?
Oh, so it's ok to show them political stuff as long as you AGREE with it. If this teacher showed a pro-homosexual movie you'd be asking for his head. How can you be such a hypocrite?
I agree, Mrs. VS.
The emotions are good, but they have to be cultivated carefully, so that emotions like joy, wonder, fascination, awe, reverence, courage and respect will be strong enough to counteract ugliness and brutality. It is very important for little children to be impressed with the beauty of human life FIRST, before they are exposed to horror.
That's one of the main reasons I strongly support home-schooling: the child's parents are best suited to knowing the child's level of maturity.
If you subject children younger than 16 to those images, then you should know better.
Chidlren should be shown neither.
Saving Private Ryan etc.
I do think the teacher should get permission from the parents first.
But, outright banning of R-movies is ridiculous, even if they may be shown to 16-year-olds instead of 17 or 18.
I agree with these age guidelines.
I also think that, since it's the truth, it should be shown.
Hiding the truth is a lie.
If people want to be pro-abortion, fine, as long as thay know exactly what they're supporting.
Most of the pro-abortion people I've talked to about this issue over the years have a general understanding that the baby is just "tissue."
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.