Missouri high school history teacher suspended for showing "Boys Beware"

[pstokely]

Last edited Wed May 6, 2015, 12:22 AM - Edit history (1)

"
The film was produced by the Ingelwood, Calif., Police Department, for training purposes. The film sets up a scenario of a boy named Jimmy and man named Ralph.

‘Jimmy played baseball all afternoon and didn’t feel like walking home so he decided to thumb a ride,’ the film explains. ‘You see, Ralph’s a homosexual, a person who demands an intimate relationship with members of their own sex, but by now Jimmy felt a fondness for Ralph and they continued to go places together,‘ the film continued.

Simon says a student complained and the administration rejected his reasoning of using the old film.

“I did say right when I started, let’s look at this and see how things have changes since 1959,” Simon said.

Now, parents and others in the community and district who know Simon have signed a petition to give Mr. Simon his job back.

http://fox4kc.com/2015/05/05/mo-high-school-history-teacher-suspended-for-showing-old-film-on-homosexuality/

[pipoman]

1. If the teacher showed it as some sort of warning

Most kids would laugh their asses off just like they would if shown reefer madness or a sex ed film from 1959...

Otoh, if it's about cultural change this is a great tool.

[BlueJazz]

2. “I did say right when I started, let’s look at this and see how things have changed since 1959,”

Seems like a large share of the populace freak-out about nothing while ignoring getting their whole lives fucked by the rich.

[Warren DeMontague]

5. Really, we should be worried about flouride and our precious bodily fluids.

Man, way to try to hijack and derail the issue. Context is everything with what this guy did (and his caveat could be interpreted a couple different ways, sort of like if a teacher showed a video about segregation... in the context of "the old days" or "the good old days", really, what was the message and the lesson supposed to convey)

but your move here trying to change the subject- ham-fisted and just not terribly well executed. You get no points for form, sir.

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Makes you wonder what the reaction would be if it were "Birth of a Nation" that was shown.

Or something similar to that drek. Again, if it was pining for the "good ole days", then toss his ass; if, however, it is used to show historical bigotry and how it was used, then it can be a useful tool.

[Coventina]

17. Our cinema courses do show "Birth of a Nation"

but, always with the explanation that it is a document of cinematic history and its racist message is abhorrent.

We still get complaints sometimes, even with the explanations.

[Behind the Aegis]

20. This was in a HS.

I don't know what happened. I watched the FOX newscast which was loaded, and read the article, which was confusing. If, as I have said, it was to show how far we have progressed, then good on him; if, however, this was "pining for the days of yore", then toss his ass. One thing I got from watching the newscast was he was tasked with teaching law enforcement this year, and, in his words, was not his area. Also he is a WORLD history teacher, from the stories, it seemed he was an AMERICAN history teacher, so, that's a bit confusing as well. I see things like that and the "Birth of the Nation" and several other things just like it as good teaching tools, in the right hands.

[Coventina]

22. For a HS audience, no matter the guy's intentions, probably not the best move.

Just finished watching "Boys Beware" on YouTube.

Ugh.

Where to even start?

I can certainly see the value in viewing the movie for a history of law enforcement, or LGBT studies, or any kind of gender studies class, as a document of bigotry.

But, all that seems like pretty elevated critical thinking for the average high-schooler, unless maybe it was some sort of gifted program where above average, mature students were the audience.

Off the topic, but I couldn't help thinking as I watched it - where did they get the guys to play the "perpetrators"? I mean, did they have a casting call for "people we think of as Satan personified"?

[BlueJazz]

9. No. I give people the benefit of a doubt plus from the News report, I feel the idea of firing this..

...person was ridiculous. I think it's wonderful to show students how silly some of the old emotions/Laws were and how they were damaging to the populace. ("seemed to classify all homosexuals as criminals&quot

I see the film as a teaching aid and wouldn't have thought anything about it.


"Simon has taught history for Raymore Peculiar High School for 47 years, but this year a law enforcement class was added to his teaching assignments. Simon says he combined his background in history and law enforcement to bring students a unique perspective. He said the purpose of showing the video was to show how things have changed since 1959."

Portions of the film showed a forming relationship between a man and a boy, but seemed to classify all homosexuals as criminals.

“Yeah. It says it is a mental illness,” said Simon.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. I said repeatedly in this thread, the context here is everything.

It's like the difference between showing a film from segregation and going "look how much we've progressed" or saying "look how nice and orderly things were back when everyone knew their place"

I dont know the context, like I said, it's not clear from the story. I would hope they had some sort of contextual reason to interpret it in a way that would cause them to fire him, instead of just doing it "because" with no explanation allowed.

If it was just about "isnt it great how things have changed" and educating regarding how society has progressed, i agree.

If it was about "can you believe now we want to let these people get married?"... Totally different deal.

Im sure you would agree.

[BlueJazz]

14. I'll certainly agree that there are different ways to look at it. I HOPE it's the way I see it...

...but much to my chagrin, I could be wrong.

[Warren DeMontague]

15. There is definitely a bad track record of school districts doing ridiculous "zero tolerance" moves,

etc.

So you could be right.

[Aerows]

16. I have no idea

what you said that warranted getting put down for making a very good point.

Don't ever change, BlueJazz, and ignore the people that rant because they didn't like your point of view.

It takes a lot of different voices to make a conversation!

[BlueJazz]

19. Well, thank you so much Aerows...that's extremely nice of you to say that. Most women I interact...

...with say something like: "Get away from me, you sick perverted bastard"

Seriously, that was very thoughtful and makes my day.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. If showing it as a cautionary tale, then I am glad he was suspended.

I actually showed this in a GLBT meeting in college as an example of historic homophobia (and it is a fucking hoot!). This was before the internet, so I actually had to use a projector, which made it funnier. It still isn't as funny as the satire ""Jimmie's dad is a Fudge Packer" which I think was a "MAD" skit, but I can't remember. If you haven't seen it, look it up on YouTube...it's a scream!

[Warren DeMontague]

4. I've seen it too. It's INSANE.

Reading this story, it's hard to tell- even with his caveat about saying "let's look at how things have changed since 1959". Was he saying "shit, things were so much better then" or was he presenting it rationally in the context of here is societal progress, sort of like showing racist material - not to promote it but to show how screwed up the past was.

It's pretty tough to determine from the limited info in the story.

[Behind the Aegis]

7. I think it is a hoot.

There are several more like it out there. I have seen quite a few. There is a really, really funny one from the NYPD from late 1940's ( ) that is so absurd, you can't help but bust out laughing. It is a really interesting way to look into the past and how certain groups were viewed and to compare how things have changed (or not). (PS...I liked the video you sent earlier.)

[Warren DeMontague]

8. I should have given you a bit more context.

Check your PMs in a minute.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

11. He wanted to use the film to show how things have changed ...

... but nothing has changed. Not in this dog-fearing Missouri community, where the fear of teh gay still reigns, and the FACT that teh gay is contagious and transmitted through mysterious means.

No Mr Teacher, we are STILL in 1959, and proud of it!

[PeaceNikki]

12. PECULIAR, MO? I'd argue all of Missouri is peculiar.

[NuclearDem]

13. History is uncomfortable sometimes.

[alphafemale]

18. It appears it was a lesson in "How Things Have Changed"

Maybe some more prologue and introduction beforehand may have been a good idea.

But I don't think he was being homophobic in anyway.

[Emelina]

21. American schools are not supposed to teach analysis or critical thinking

What was this teacher thinking??????