Teacher suspended

[Shana A]

Teacher suspended
Posted on December 19, 2012 by cmclean

http://www.ctvvancouverisland.ca/2012/12/teacher-suspended/

CENTRAL SAANICH – The Saanich School District has suspended a teacher for showing grade four students a Christmas video with sexual overtones that the district's superintendent has deemed, "inappropriate".

Some parents at Brentwood Elementary school are fuming.

"I was like Whoa! That got shown in class?" says parent Alan Smith. "Right away that was the first red flag for me. And at the end the guy is peeling the banana and acting very sexually with the banana."

It's a silly, and at times, sexually-charged video featuring drag queens and a man in a speedo, frolicking on the beach lip-syncing to a Bette Midler Christmas song.

In an email to parents, teacher Joe Winkler explains, "When I found the video, I thought it would be an excellent way of introducing the children to transgender issues. As with other LGBT issues, we have not looked at trangender (sic) as being about sex, and there was no mention or suggestion of sex in the video."

[Jamie D]

The entire video can be seen HERE

[~RoadToTrista~]

Wtf? That is inappropriate. Needs more clothes!!!!!

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

While I did not find it too offensive, I would not want my grandchildren to see it.

[crazy at the coast]

Exactly what transgender issues is the guy trying to introduce to the kids with that video? 

[MaidofOrleans]

Exactly what transgender issues is the guy trying to introduce to the kids with that video?

Stupid ones I would imagine...

[Emily Aster]

I expected the media frenzy to be out of line on this one, but seeing the video, they're right. I didn't view this as being a video about transgendered folks so much as being a video about a form of sexuality that most adults can't tolerate. I really don't want kids growing up thinking we're just sex-crazed freaks because sex has nothing to do with it.

[Joelene9]

I expected the media frenzy to be out of line on this one, but seeing the video, they're right. I didn't view this as being a video about transgendered folks so much as being a video about a form of sexuality that most adults can't tolerate. I really don't want kids growing up thinking we're just sex-crazed freaks because sex has nothing to do with it.

Agreed.

  Joelene

[aleon515]

I know more teachers who have actually gotten in trouble for showing videos than anything else. I didn't see this video as this browser can't be updated with my OS anymore. (New OS forthcoming next month.) Anyway, most of the time I've agreed with admin. on these things as a lot of times in these situations the teacher just is not using their head.

I got into no trouble at all for talking to my kids about trans issues. I didn't talk about my own transition, but I talked to them about transgender in general what it is and so on.

--Jay

[TanaSilver]

Oh my God, this guy thought this video was an "excellent way" to introduce trans issues?!? While I don't find the video offensive in and of itself, it's actually pretty funny, to present it and say, "Here you go kids, this is what it is to be transgendered!" I find deeply offensive.

Simply talking about the subject in a mature way, as aleon said, would have been far, far better.

[toxicblue]

Drag queens are not a proper representation of transsexual individuals on a whole. I think it was a poor choice, and there would be better ways to introduce diversity to the class.

[Alex_K]

Exactly what transgender issues is the guy trying to introduce to the kids with that video? 

Just what I thought!

[Annah]