Four Teenage Filmmakers Expelled For Making Horror Film
Filed under: Comedy, Horror, Newsstand
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Four teenagers in the Knightstown, Indiana school system have been tossed out of school permanently for making a horror-comedy entitled "The Teddy Bear Master," in which a villainous puppetmaster uses stuffed animals to try to kill a teacher. According to the Associated Press, which is running a story on the incident, the school superintendent is defending the expulsion partly on the grounds that the fictional teacher targeted in the film has the "same last name as a real teacher in the district." At first blush, that sounds like a very thin justification for the action, perhaps ginned up to protect the expelling principal against valid charges of overreach. The story also notes that the sophomores worked on the film from fall 2005 through this past summer, which if true, makes it seem much less likely that there were bad intentions. Two of the students, 15-year old Isaac Imel and 16-year old Cody Overbay, have sued in U.S. District court to have their expulsion overturned.
If the AP story is a fair representation of the facts in the case, it would seem that the school district doesn't have a leg to stand on. The story notes that a local prosecutor's office screened the film and declined to press any kind of charges, and the attorney for the school district has been reduced to filing court papers citing "vulgar and offensive language" in the film in addition to the (apparently) vague charge of teacher intimidation. The ACLU is representing one of the students.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-27-2006 @ 12:45PM
Rich Drees said...
STOP THE CREATIVITY!!! CONFORM AND CONSUME!!!! EXPRESS NO FREE WILL!!!
Jebus, what a sorry comment on the state of the American education system.
Oh, wait, what was that? The students used the last name of a teacher in their movie? Well, that's different. If the principal can prove that the students made the film as a way of mapping out their ultimate plan of killing said teacher with magically animated teddy bears than I'm sure he has a case. Otherwise, he'd just look like a complete idiot and I'm sure that action would "interferes with school operations" more so than anything these kids did.
Also, are they serious with the school lawyer siting "vulgar and offensive language" in the film? So what? Or is there a law forbidding kids from swearing? If so, build more prisons and then do a sweep through every playground, junior high lunch room and gym lockerroom, baseball dugout, arcade and whatever room most kids play their video games in at home.
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11-27-2006 @ 4:44PM
Cath said...
Had this "zero tolerance" crap been around when I was in elementary school, most of my class would have been expelled for our artistic renderings of Mousetrap-style teacher torture devices. My best friend and I also had a comic strip that had us in capers designed to frustrate a particularly sadistic teacher we had. The bottom line is that children are encircled by rules and utterly powerless. The creative response for children is to generate power fantasies like the ones here. The only other (though current socially-approved) response is to engage in bullying behavior with one's peers. Very stalinesque.
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11-28-2006 @ 8:17PM
student said...
Im one of the students of this deal. Why would they take all freedoms of a kid away. We didnt use any of the schools equipment, nor were we on school grounds. Yes maybe a little bad taste, but what the hay im a kid. Tell me the first time you learned words that you wouldnt say in front of your parents, you didnt go brag to your friends.... wait Of COURSE you did. i mean im a good kid, ive never had a detention in high school. what would make them think im a threat. Thats what im still waiting to find out. tell everyone you possibly can about what has happened. Honestly though its not horific, nor does anyone die in the movie. Not even a teddy bear :). i cant get over this, its teddy bears. After this expeirence im 15 going on 30. Thank you for your support, its what puts a smile on my face everytime i see your comments....
Disclaimer: (No teddy bears were harmed in the making of this movie).
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11-29-2006 @ 5:19PM
just me said...
I am a mother of one of the kids in the suit.
This is really blown way out of porportion. These kids did nothing wrong!! My son had a VERY small and I mean small part in this movie. This administration needs to get back to the task at hand and that is teaching these kids. We have the no child left behind law in this state, but do you think it matters to KNIGHTSTOWN?? NO!!. Come on, admit that you Are wrong and let these boys back in school and let them get on with their lives!!
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11-29-2006 @ 5:22PM
d.shepherd said...
I am the father of one of the expelled boys.He likley will go down in history as the only kid to be expelled for saying nothing and doing a backflip.I also appreciated not being called except to be informed of the execution,opps,expulsion.did i mention the fact they threw away all his personal belongings from his locker.The school system mishandled this from the start and refused to reposition their stance when i gave them the oppertunity to reinstate my son and avoid legal action.I have found overwhelming support for these four boys and i thank each and everyone of you.
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