Comments on: “What happens in Ms. Buford’s class stays in Ms. Buford’s class”

By: MF

MF — Tue, 15 May 2007 00:07:29 +0000

Certainly the teacher should be fired. It’s obviously a case of the teacher pushing her political values on her students. That it was mandatory viewing was hard to comprehend. It doesn’t even belong there with an opt-out for students.

Even if the purpose of showing the film was to prompt a discussion on some social values, the film has no business being shown at any junior high, and not even at a high school. It’s R-rated. Show at college? I don’t believe the film in question has any value of any kind, but at least at college it’s likely that all students are likely to be at least 17 years old.

By: Justinian Lane

Justinian Lane — Mon, 14 May 2007 20:58:53 +0000

I’ll join the chorus in asking why a group of pre-teens was shown Brokeback Mountain in school. I haven’t seen the movie, but I’m familiar enough with it to know there’s no educational value in it. Damned lazy teachers.

By: Greg Dwyer

Greg Dwyer — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:38:17 +0000

I remember in high school the teacher fast forwarded through the fully dressed can-can girls in an Old West movie. And they can show Brokeback Mountain? Damn school has changed

By: David Caskey

David Caskey — Mon, 14 May 2007 16:02:00 +0000

I have voluntarily gone to the theater recently and left feeling that I should sue. I can just imagine this poor girls trauma at being forced to watch what Hollywood produces.

By: Matt B.

Matt B. — Mon, 14 May 2007 15:08:29 +0000

I think it is a good reason to sue, and I hope they win. Maybe the 400k is excessive, but not the reason to sue. The school was obviously negligent for showing a controversial rated R movie to 12 year olds. It does matter if the movie was gay-themed or straight-themed or whatever. It was a rated R movie that has sexual content in it.

By: John Rohan

John Rohan — Mon, 14 May 2007 09:37:56 +0000

The lawsuit is ridiculous, but the substitute teacher should never be hired again. What educational value is there in showing "Brokeback Mountain" to a junior high school class? Why not screen "Friday the 13th" while they are at it? It was a waste of student's time and taxpayers money. http://shieldofachilles.blogspot.com

By: LAN3

LAN3 — Mon, 14 May 2007 07:53:56 +0000

I hope you never undergo the startlement, pain and heartbreak I experienced by reading the ending of “Freya of the Seven Isles” by Joseph Conrad. I should sue his estate.

By: Joe Bingham

Joe Bingham — Mon, 14 May 2007 03:35:20 +0000

Good reason to send your kids to private school. Bad reason to sue.

By: Walter Olson

Walter Olson — Mon, 14 May 2007 02:27:43 +0000

Faulkner prose, or machine-translated German text? You can take the test here (via Terry Teachout).