R-rated movie at school upsets parents
Michael Miller
Parents of seventh-graders at Corona del Mar High are criticizing a
teacher for showing an R-rated film to his class on Wednesday.
Dan Granite, a seventh-grade history teacher, reportedly did not
show up to work on Thursday after students and parents protested his
screening of “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc” the day
before. Granite showed the 1999 film, which the Motion Picture Assn.
of America classifies as “rated R for strong graphic battles, a rape
and some language,” apparently as part of a unit the class is
studying on Joan of Arc.
Jaime Castellanos, the assistant superintendent of secondary
education for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District, said only
that “the situation with the teacher has been addressed.” The school
office confirmed that Granite was back on Friday. Officials at Corona
del Mar High declined comment otherwise, and Granite did not return
calls seeking comment.
A number of parents decried the screening of “The Messenger” for
an audience of mostly 12- and 13-year-olds. Most of the complaints
centered on a fairly explicit scene involving the rape of a dead
woman.
“That is really inappropriate for a history class,” said Roger
Downing, whose daughter, Molly, is one of Granite’s students. “I
don’t know if the guy was trying to make a point, so I don’t want to
condemn him without talking to him. I’ve met this teacher, and he
seems like a pretty square shooter, so I’d like to talk to him before
he’s nailed to the wall. But that sure seemed inappropriate.
“Necrophilia can be talked about in school, but it’s not something
I would show to 12-, 13-year-old kids.”
More than one parent said the incident with Granite was not the
first time their students had seen adult-themed movies at Corona del
Mar Middle School. Several claimed that English teacher Chris Brude
had shown the Ben Stiller comedy “Zoolander,” which is rated PG-13
and has numerous drug references and a comic orgy scene, during
finals week in his seventh-grade class.
Ann Chatillon, whose daughter Jenna is in both Brude and Granite’s
classes, said that she complained to principal Brooke Booth after the
screening of “Zoolander,” but that little came of her remarks.
“She said she would follow up,” Chatillon said. “That was all she
said. We never heard anything.”
On Wednesday, Chatillon said, Jenna told her about the showing of
“The Messenger” while the two were driving home, prompting her to
make “a U-turn” and confront Booth and high school principal Bob Metz
in the office. The next day, she said, Metz left a message on her
answering machine saying that administrators had spoken to both Brude
and Granite.
Still, Chatillon believes the consequences should have been
stronger.
“It’s a sad day when I’m having to tell my daughter, ‘Don’t let
school get in the way of your education,’” Chatillon remarked.
“What’s heart-rending is that Jenna is very fond of these two
teachers. We’ve gone from PG to R, and what’s next? An X-rated
movie?”
Castellanos said Granite had not asked the district for permission
to show “The Messenger,” but that the district had no official rules
regarding screenings in class.
“If they show something political, they have to talk about both
sides,” the assistant superintendent said, “but nothing says you
can’t show an R-rated movie.”
He added that he had not heard about the “Zoolander” screening.
“I’m certainly apologetic,” Castellanos said. “That kind of thing
certainly should not have happened.”
* MICHAEL MILLER covers education and may be reached at (714)
966-4617 or by e-mail at michael.miller @latimes.com.
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