2 California teachers in trouble for showing classes Nick Berg beheading

The1calledTKE · #1 05-15-2004, 10:07 AM

Two Teachers Taken Out Of Classrooms
Local parents are outraged that students from two high schools allegedly watched or listened to the graphic beheading of an American in Iraq while in class under the supervision of teachers.

Two teachers in the Grossmont Union High School District have been taken out of their classrooms for allegedly allowing students to see images of the actual decapitation.

A full investigation by the district is under way, said school officials.

Kristi Sarff, the parent of a high-school student, said she found it unacceptable that the students would be shown American hostage Nick Berg's decapitation.

"I would be appalled if I found out he was in a classroom and saw that," said Sarff. "It's one thing in the privacy of your home, but it's not something a public school should be showing."

The two teachers, one from Grossmont High School and one from El Capitan High School, are on administrative leave for allegedly allowing students to see graphic images of the decapitation.

Off-camera, a student at Grossmont High told NBC 7/39 that his social-sciences teacher played an audiotape of Berg screaming, and then the teacher allegedly showed two still pictures of video -- of images of Berg immediately before and after the decaptitation.

for full article see http://www.nbcsandiego.com/education...26/detail.html

swissmiss04 · #2 05-15-2004, 10:37 AM

If the teacher warned the students beforehand and allowed those who chose to to leave the room, I see nothing wrong with this situation. However, if this isn't the case then the teachers got what they deserved.

honeychile · #3 05-15-2004, 11:24 AM

I completely disagree. In an age when students go through metal detectors to attend class, no such violent films should be shown without parental consent.

madmax · #4 05-15-2004, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by honeychile
I completely disagree. In an age when students go through metal detectors to attend class, no such violent films should be shown without parental consent.

Are the students allowd to watch the nightly news?

DZHBrown · #5 05-15-2004, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by madmax
Are the students allowd to watch the nightly news?

Did you see the actual beheading or hear the screams on the nightly news?

DeltAlum · #6 05-15-2004, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DZHBrown
Did you see the actual beheading or hear the screams on the nightly news?

Not on the shows I saw. Major news divisions do still have broadcast standards departments.

DZHBrown · #7 05-15-2004, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DeltAlum
Not on the shows I saw. Major news divisions do still have broadcast standards departments.

I don't think it was shown on the nightly news in America, at all. And rightly so. I was referring to madmax's comment.

Peaches-n-Cream · #8 05-15-2004, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by honeychile
I completely disagree. In an age when students go through metal detectors to attend class, no such violent films should be shown without parental consent.

I agree with you 100%.

damasa · #9 05-16-2004, 12:42 AM

If we are talking about parental consent, I think the parents of students that are in highschool need to start looking out for things other than videos in the classroom.

Sex and teenage pregnancy, drug use and alcohol abuse and other problems like depression that many highschool aged people encounter.

I remember watching many videos in my history classes that were very graphic and the teacher would always warn us about what was coming and if people didn't want to stay and watch, they were allowed to leave. If we can show a woman giving birth in health classes, I don't see a problem with show the Nick Berg video. Oh, but showing birth is education....yet, so is the Nick Berg video, it shows us that the world is a sick, sick place.

In any event, unite the Fundies!

madmax · #10 05-16-2004, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DZHBrown
Did you see the actual beheading or hear the screams on the nightly news?

You have seen worse and so has everyone else. Last month the same networks were showing videos of the decapitated and charred civilian contractors whose bodies were hanging from a bridge. I have seen old videos of Viet Nam where a little girl had her skin melting off. Ever seen any pics from the Holocaust? JFK's head blowing up after he was shot?

[QUOTE]Originally posted by DeltAlum
Not on the shows I saw. Major news divisions do still have broadcast standards departments. [/QUOTE

Broadcast standards or political spin doctors?
If this was about broadcast standards then why is the video edited on the networks website? How come I can't even view the video online?

DZHBrown · #11 05-16-2004, 03:49 PM

Quote:

You have seen worse and so has everyone else.

On the nightly news? In the classrooms? No, I have not seen worse.

Quote:

Last month the same networks were showing videos of the decapitated and charred civilian contractors whose bodies were hanging from a bridge. I have seen old videos of Viet Nam where a little girl had her skin melting off. Ever seen any pics from the Holocaust? JFK's head blowing up after he was shot?

Honestly, I have not seen any of those things. Maybe I missed that night. However, as often as I watch the news, both the regular nightly broadcasts on ABC/NBC and the news channels, such as MSNBC, Fox News, or CNN, if it was so commonplace, I think I would have seen it by now.

Quote:

If this was about broadcast standards then why is the video edited on the networks website? How come I can't even view the video online?

Because it's horrendous and disgusting. Because American news channels aren't going to put the beheading of someone on their news or their websites. Do you think the parents of Berg need to see their child's head cut off in the media? That's not the work of spin doctors, that's broadcasting standards and decency in general.

James · #12 05-16-2004, 04:16 PM

Damasa and mad max have a good point. I hadn't considered the video in context. I definitely saw holocaust footga ein high school that was very gruesome.

I guess people are going nuts because its so current.

Quote:

Originally posted by damasa
If we are talking about parental consent, I think the parents of students that are in highschool need to start looking out for things other than videos in the classroom.

Sex and teenage pregnancy, drug use and alcohol abuse and other problems like depression that many highschool aged people encounter.

I remember watching many videos in my history classes that were very graphic and the teacher would always warn us about what was coming and if people didn't want to stay and watch, they were allowed to leave. If we can show a woman giving birth in health classes, I don't see a problem with show the Nick Berg video. Oh, but showing birth is education....yet, so is the Nick Berg video, it shows us that the world is a sick, sick place.

In any event, unite the Fundies!

swissmiss04 · #13 05-16-2004, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by damasa

I remember watching many videos in my history classes that were very graphic and the teacher would always warn us about what was coming and if people didn't want to stay and watch, they were allowed to leave. If we can show a woman giving birth in health classes, I don't see a problem with show the Nick Berg video. Oh, but showing birth is education....yet, so is the Nick Berg video, it shows us that the world is a sick, sick place.

In any event, unite the Fundies!

Yeah unite the Fundies that will be the first to flash up graphic pics of aborted fetuses within 100 yards of an elementary school (this actually happened here recently).

I, too, saw Holocaust footage and the "Miracle of Life" video and all the other so-called graphic material. Granted, I was in high school and mature enough to somewhat understand the ramifications of what I was seeing. If this were shown to younger students, I'd definitely have a problem with it. Any comments from the students themselves? It may have been disturbing, but real life is pretty disturbing sometimes. We can't live in a bubble forever.

swissmiss04 · #14 05-16-2004, 04:58 PM

Read:
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/3300057/detail.html

DZHBrown · #15 05-16-2004, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by James
Damasa and mad max have a good point. I hadn't considered the video in context. I definitely saw holocaust footga ein high school that was very gruesome.

I guess people are going nuts because its so current.

I didn't see any Holocaust footage in high school, but that's probably because we were only offered one year of history and we barely got to WWI.