"Brokeback" lawsuit

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A 12 year-old girl and her conservative grandparent custodians have filed a redstate-bluenose lawsuit over a substitute teacher showing Brokeback Mountain to a class of eighth-graders. My God...exposing 12 and 13 year-olds to a discreet dramatization of a tragic gay relationship? Not to mention saturating their heads with the perverse notion that life is short and we should all go for the gusto and the passion while we can? I'm thoroughly disgusted.

Edward Klein, an Oregon reader who sent me the link, says that "if true, the teacher was way out of line to show this film to this class, but the girl suffering 'psychological distress' seems extreme at best. Her grandparents are religious conservatives and have complained about inappropriate reading material, which makes my liberal antenna stand up."

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Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 14, 2007 at 2:08 PM

comment #1

jeffmcm says ...

Come on now, let's be fair - it is an R-rated movie that is likely to go over the heads of most 12 year olds.

Posted by jeffmcm at May 14, 2007 2:19 PM

comment #2

Josh Massey says ...

Both parties involved are complete asshats. First, no matter your opinion on gay issues, you shouldn't show a class of 8th graders Brokeback Mountain - or any R-rated film - without parental consent. The substitute teacher that did so (after telling the students not to tell) deserves to be fired.

Second, yes, the grandparents are overreacting by using the "psychological distress" line and suing for $500,000, instead of just demanding that the teacher be let go.

Posted by Josh Massey at May 14, 2007 2:21 PM

comment #3

Wrecktum says ...

The lawsuit is silly but the teacher was way out of bounds showing a movie like this in a class of 12 year olds. Hell, many classrooms require parental notification for PG and PG-13 movies, let alone R.

BTW, has education changed that much in the past 20 years? Movies are shown in class in lieu of, you know, learning?

Posted by Wrecktum at May 14, 2007 2:23 PM

comment #4

OddDuck says ...

Agree completely with Josh Massey here - idiots on both sides. But c'mon, asking for a half million dollars because your granddaughter had to see two guys kiss? Complete Douchebags.

Posted by OddDuck at May 14, 2007 2:26 PM

comment #5

chicbn872 says ...

It's a completely inappropriate movie for a 13-year old to watch. The language and subject matter are way too much for most kids of that age to handle.

Of course, it's a shot at the right-wing here though. I am sure that in the entire history of the United States Judicial System, someone from Southern California has never, ever filed a completely wheels off lawsuit. It's always the "redneck hillbilly" from a "Redstate" that abuses the Justice System.

It's a situation where two parties are going to be famous for 15-minutes: The sub teacher and the lunatic family. It has nothing to do with politics or religion, just overall nuttiness of human beings.

Posted by chicbn872 at May 14, 2007 2:27 PM

comment #6

christian says ...

note from a flaming lib: you don't show r-rated movies to 12 year olds in a classroom.

unless it's THE DEER HUNTER.

Posted by christian at May 14, 2007 2:33 PM

comment #7

Josh Massey says ...

For those that might not find anything wrong with this: What if the movie had been Passion of the Christ?

Posted by Josh Massey at May 14, 2007 2:56 PM

comment #8

christian says ...

oh well, jesus getting tortured for three hours is good for you. builds character.

Posted by christian at May 14, 2007 3:01 PM

comment #9

L.B. says ...

Stupid teacher, stupid grandparents, and stupid, misguided commentary about it from Wells. We've hit the trifecta. Everybody wins!

Posted by L.B. at May 14, 2007 3:10 PM

comment #10

jeffmcm says ...

Josh Massey, please notice that not a single person has stepped forward to agree with Wells or say that 'there's nothing wrong with this'.

Posted by jeffmcm at May 14, 2007 3:17 PM

comment #11

Josh Massey says ...

Didn't say there had been. And I don't think everybody reading this posts comments either.

Posted by Josh Massey at May 14, 2007 3:22 PM

comment #12

nola says ...

the lawsuit seems extreme but the teacher is stupid. from what I remember you can't show R-rated movies to kids under 17.

Posted by nola at May 14, 2007 3:57 PM

comment #13

Geoff says ...

It said that the teacher went about it without a parental consent form. That teacher probably has some weird agenda, or is just wanting to get fired.

Look, many of us would not have had a problem with this when we were that age. Good for us and our cool parents. But then again, it is an adult film that would have gone a little over our heads anyways, don't ya think?

Posted by Geoff at May 14, 2007 4:14 PM

comment #14

PanTheFaun says ...

Why is everyone assuming that the teeny-tiny heads of 12-13 year olds couldn't possibly grasp the themes of a film about a tragic relationship?

Posted by PanTheFaun at May 14, 2007 4:23 PM

comment #15

Cadavra says ...

This is just another example of America Today. Somebody does something stupid, the zealots overreact, and the media over-overreact. And the quality of life slips another notch.

Posted by Cadavra at May 14, 2007 4:26 PM

comment #16

Josh Massey says ...

"Why is everyone assuming that the teeny-tiny heads of 12-13 year olds couldn't possibly grasp the themes of a film about a tragic relationship?"

I teach 11-year-olds. They can't.

Posted by Josh Massey at May 14, 2007 4:30 PM

comment #17

Geoff says ...

Yeesh, a film like Brokeback is full of subtleties. Sure they could come away with a feeling of "oh, it ended badly for both of them," but not much else. You have to live for at least a few more years before it can wash over you.

Posted by Geoff at May 14, 2007 4:39 PM

comment #18

Craig Kennedy says ...

is Red State Blue Nose the sequel to White Hunter Black Heart?

Posted by Craig Kennedy at May 14, 2007 4:44 PM

comment #19

Mr. Muckle says ...

Chicago is now part of jeff's red state fruitbasket? I hardly think so. The sub teacher sounds like a real prick. And anyone can file a lawsuit for any amount. If any monetary damages were actually awarded, I would be surprised. It's just to make a point, which seems to be worth making since, as everyone else has said, R-rated movies in an elementary classroom is fucked up. I also think they should sue the stupid parents who bring children to R-rated movies because I can't enjoy them when I see little kids sitting there. Crap, I'm still traumatized from seeing "Romeo and Juliet" with my girlfriend in high school.

Posted by Mr. Muckle at May 14, 2007 4:44 PM

comment #20

MickTravis says ...

The kids who only saw Brokeback should consider themselves lucky....

http://www.cnn.com/2007/EDUCATION/05/13/faked.attack.ap/index.html?eref=rss_latest

Posted by MickTravis at May 14, 2007 5:00 PM

comment #21

Arran says ...

I'll just say what everyone else will say/is saying: the teacher shouldn't have been showing an R-rated flick without parents' permission, but the lawsuit is a joke.

Posted by Arran at May 14, 2007 5:43 PM

comment #22

Dan Revill says ...

While I do think that there is value in Brokeback Mountain, I do not think under any circumstances should any kid in elementary school should be shown the film...It's just pure common sense really. Of course, in this pluralistic and relativistic society, anything seems to go as far as Wells goes. 'Tis a shame.
Parents should be deciding what their children watch up until a certain point, not the teachers. That's why parental permission forms were created in the first place, right?

Posted by Dan Revill at May 14, 2007 5:49 PM

comment #23

PanTheFaun says ...

"Why is everyone assuming that the teeny-tiny heads of 12-13 year olds couldn't possibly grasp the themes of a film about a tragic relationship?"

I teach 11-year-olds. They can't.

Posted by: Josh Massey at May 14, 2007 04:30 PM

The same thing could be said of kids my age (21) or 55-year-olds for that matter. Some people will never grasp certain subtleties and themes-- I just don't think we should assume that no 13-year-old can (and Josh there is often a big different between 11 and 13).

Posted by PanTheFaun at May 14, 2007 6:13 PM

comment #24

TKC says ...

Um. Nobody's arguing that "no 13-year-old" can grasp the "subtleties and themes" of "Brokeback Mountain". The question is whether a whole roomful of them should be shown the movie, without their parents' permission. Which, it seems to me, they shouldn't -- any more so than they should be shown "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" or "Damage" or "A History of Violence". It's not even a gay thing -- I'm gay, and I love the movie. It's a matter of letting parents make those judgments for their kids.

In other words: Agreed with all the above posters -- the teacher should be fired, and the litigious grandparents are overreacting.

Posted by TKC at May 14, 2007 9:41 PM

comment #25

PanTheFaun says ...

Uh, no that's not what people here are arguing. We're all agreeing students shouldn't be shown an R-rated movie without their parents permission.

What everyone keeps saying however is that it will obviously go over all of their heads.

Posted by PanTheFaun at May 14, 2007 10:02 PM

comment #26

TKC says ...

Actually, "everybody" doesn't "keep saying ... it will obviously go over all of their heads". You're one of the few talking in absolutes like "what everyone keeps saying". You seem to be willfully misreading the commenters. Look back through the comments and read them again. What most of the commenters said was, "it'll go over most of their heads". They're not ruling out that there'll be some kids in the class who are mature enough to deal with it. But they're suggesting that not *all* the kids in the class are mature enough to deal with it. And that's why it's a decision for the parents to make, not a substitute teacher.

(Similarly, to your comment that "some 21 year olds" and "some 55 year olds" wouldn't grasp the movie: Yes. True. And they shouldn't be placed in a setting where an authority figure is making them watch it. Just as the kids in that classroom shouldn't have been.)

Posted by TKC at May 14, 2007 10:25 PM

comment #27

bobby1976 says ...

At least he didnt show ZOO

Posted by bobby1976 at May 15, 2007 6:45 AM

comment #28

iamanerd says ...

Most school systems make all teachers get permission to show any movie, no matter the rating or content. Showing an R-rated movie to any secondary students is problematic because they aren't legally old enough to watch it. Even a class or seniors could have some 16 year old in the bunch. I teach college writing and literature, and I must include a subject matter disclaimer to cover my ass as far as the readings, class discussions, and films go. It is scary how wacky some students, parents, and instructors have become. Spread the blame around!

Posted by iamanerd at May 15, 2007 7:53 AM

comment #29

George Prager says ...

Like "Lone Star"-- a movie destined to join the ranks of films that time forgot. Wildly overpraised and instantly forgettable. It kinda sucked. The girl and her grandparents are African-American...no?

Posted by George Prager at May 15, 2007 9:24 AM

comment #30

bmcintire says ...

To double back on Josh Massey's theory, I wonder if the girl's grandparents would have complained if it had been THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST instead of BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. Though, assuredly, someone would have (as they should in either case), but dollars to doughnuts it wouldn't have been these particular wackos.

Posted by bmcintire at May 15, 2007 12:24 PM

comment #31

George Prager says ...

"Not to mention saturating their heads with the perverse notion that life is short and we should all go for the gusto and the passion while we can? I'm thoroughly disgusted."

She should've shown the little bastards Taxi Driver or Blue Velvet.

Posted by George Prager at May 15, 2007 12:24 PM

comment #32

Gnome de Guerre says ...

Ok, sure, the teacher made a mistake. But why y'all calling for him to be fired? Maybe he's the best teacher in the world otherwise? It's almost like you're trying to appease on the lawsuit front by saying "ok, we'll settle for firing him". Let's just say the teacher should be punished somehow, and let minds more familiar with his other accomplishments determine how.

Posted by Gnome de Guerre at May 15, 2007 7:18 PM

comment #33

Gnome de Guerre says ...

BTW is it really "illegal" to show R-rated films to under-17s? I thought MPAA ratings were preemptive regulation on the part of the film industry to prevent the legal system from getting involved...?

Also, aren't teachers considered "guardians" in the colloquial way the MPAA uses the term? (ie they're not legal guardians, but since when does that matter for R movies?)

BTW, not saying it was appropriate or anything, just that there may not be legal issues flowing from the R-rating thing.

Posted by Gnome de Guerre at May 15, 2007 7:25 PM

comment #34

Josh Massey says ...

"Ok, sure, the teacher made a mistake. But why y'all calling for him to be fired? Maybe he's the best teacher in the world otherwise?"

It was a substitute teacher.

Posted by Josh Massey at May 15, 2007 8:14 PM

comment #35

Dave Polands Gut says ...

What teacher in their right mind shows 12 yr olds an R rated movie? You should be fired just for that. Besides pushing your pro gay agenda.

Posted by Dave Polands Gut at May 16, 2007 7:56 AM

comment #36

Vitesse98 says ...

If memory serves, Illinois was one of only two states to have gone firmly, early blue last election. As in, no question, no doubt, no contest. The two leading democratic candidates hail from Illinois. And Chicago, well ... Chicago is about as "red" as San Francisco. This sounds like reactionary parents run wild, which trumps state "color" and alleged cultural conflicts every time.

Stupid lawsuit, sure. But I remember getting permission slips way back when to see "Romeo & Juliet" and even "Clash of the Titans" (it has a scene of breastfeeding)in school. I couldn't imagine a film with simulated sex getting shown in middle school, let alone one featuring simulated gay sex, an all-state hot button issue if ever there was one.

Posted by Vitesse98 at May 16, 2007 2:35 PM

comment #37