Teacher who showed abortion film to 8th-graders quits

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Mercury News

Teacher who showed abortion film to 8th-graders quits
By Sharon Noguchi
Mercury News
Article Launched: 03/03/2008 01:31:53 AM PST

The Milpitas science teacher who showed eighth-graders a graphic anti-abortion video remains on paid leave but has resigned from teaching at Russell Middle School effective June 30.

It is not clear whether Randy Yang, a first-year teacher, will return to the classroom this semester. Superintendent Karl Black, citing confidentiality rules, refused to comment.
(snip)

On Jan. 23, Yang showed clips of the controversial film "The Silent Scream," which depicts a fetus being aborted. The film was not part of the curriculum. The next day he was placed on paid leave.
(snip)

Yang showed the film to five classes of eighth-grade science students after they finished taking a chemistry test that had nothing to do with human biology.


Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/news/ci_8434864?nclick_check=1

[rpannier]

1. There is more to this issue than whether it had to do with the subject

Almost every public school requires that if you show movies that are not from the district library you must get permission first.
A friend of mine teaches high school world history and he shows 'The Holocaust' (TV mini-series) and The Killing Fields. Every year he has to get the principal's ok and allow Kids to opt out of the Killing Fields (Rated-R).

This guy violated the rules of common sense and most likely, district policy.

[sakabatou]

2. Facepalm

There's a lot of stupid with the teacher...

[shenmue]

3. What the hell is wrong with him?

Why did he consider that okay to begin with? Who is he to think up his owm agenda of stuff to do to the kids? :grr:

[DBoon]

7. God told him to

What other reason does he need?

I'm sure his suspension will be spun as censorship of religion

[greiner3]

4. I'm wondering if the teacher supplied the popcorn;

:popcorn:

[AngryOldDem]

5. This can really mess kids up, especially if they didn't know it was coming.

I wonder if the school district will help parents with that? In my experience anything that could be perceived to be provocative or controversial -- from sex ed to films depicting 9/11 -- was detailed in letters sent home to parents, and parents and kids had the choice to opt out with no penalty.

But this is just the type of "in your face" crap the far-right pro-lifers just love. What they fail to realize is that going for the shock value can blow up in your face, big time, and ultimately discredits the message you are trying to send.

[cstanleytech]

6. Lets hope he is not allowed to teach in

any other public school.

[Javaman]

8. morons like mr. yong, even if fired, will believe that their mission is done.

I honestly believe that there are people out there that take positions that deal with children and do this kinds of sensationalism acts just to get their distorted message out there. They don't care of they are fired, they believe that their message is now out there and their mission is accomplished until given new orders.