Teacher fired for showing snuff film to Grade 10 students

[SWeAT hOg]

I don't get this at all. I get uncomfortable talking about the meaning of GnR lyrics with my students (I remember that one group of students wanted to perform 'Welcome to the Jungle' at a Battle of the Bands at our middle school. When I said that they couldn't sing about some lyrics they understood, except for the 'feel my serpentine' line. They honestly thought Axl was talking about his snake. They didn't realize he was referring to the 'white snake'.)

This guy is an idiot. I don't want to see this film myself, let alone share it with adolescents.

I'm glad he was fired, but he will likely end up back in front of students. I hope he learned his lesson, some things do not belong in the classroom.

Montreal teacher fired for showing body-parts video

The Canadian Press

Updated: Thu. Jun. 14 2012 10:18 PM ET

MONTREAL — A Montreal high school teacher was fired Thursday for showing a Grade 10 class what is believed to be the video of the infamous body-parts killing.

CAUTION: GRAPHIC CONTENT MAY DISTURB SOME READERS.

The school board issued a statement saying the 29-year-old teacher, who was under contract until the end of the school year, was terminated -- effective immediately.

The teacher at Cavelier-De LaSalle High School showed the video on June 4, apparently at the urging of students in his history-and-civics class.

Students said that during a discussion of current events, and the Magnotta case, they had asked him to show the video and he apparently relented after they voted 22 to 3 in favour of watching it.

Widely available on the Internet, the video allegedly depicts Luka Rocco Magnotta killing, dismembering, and committing horrific acts Concordia University student Jun Lin. Its contents are so disturbing that even veteran police investigators have been rattled while viewing it.

The teacher has been suspended with pay since June 4 and he offered his description of the events to the school board on Wednesday.

One day later, the board made its announcement. It said it took a number of factors into account including the seriousness of the gesture and the impact on the students involved.

"The unacceptable nature of the action by the teacher demanded an unequivocal response," school board president Diane Lamarche-Venne said in a statement.

Many students had defended the popular young teacher. Earlier Thursday, several held a rally around lunchtime. The student body has created a petition calling for his reinstatement.

He has been described as a longtime volunteer, a hockey coach, and as someone students could always turn to if they needed to discuss problems inside or outside the classroom. He recently had a baby.

One student told The Canadian Press that the popular teacher made a mistake and should be allowed to return to his job -- a view apparently held by many others at the school.

Before the announcement Thursday, Chloe Silvano had said she hoped he might keep his job.

"I will be sad (if he's dismissed) because he's the best teacher in the school," said Silvano. "Everyone finds he's a good teacher and everyone loves him...

"He's always there for us, listening to us when we need to talk... He's funny and we love him."

But not everyone held the view that he should be allowed to return. Another student agreed he should have been fired for his lapse in judgment.

"He's a great teacher, but what he did was wrong," said Brittany Henriques, "so firing him is the ideal thing to do."

Henriques agreed the students are not completely innocent in all this.

"The teacher is at fault completely, but so are the students." Henriques said. "They knew this was a real murder, they knew what was going on and they begged for it (to be shown)."

Students in the class said the incident began during a chat about current events -- which is how the history-and-citizenship class often begins. Many students had already seen the video on their own.

A video circulating on the Internet -- called "1 Lunatic, 1 Ice Pick" -- is believed by authorities to show the 33-year-old Lin being murdered in Montreal several weeks ago.

It shows someone stabbing a man and dismembering him. It then shows the killer committing acts of sex and what appears to be cannibalism on parts of the corpse.

What disappointed Henriques was that the majority of the students wanted to see the video -- and that none of them stood up to say no.

"It's horrible, disrespectful and disgusting to me," said Henriques, who was not in the class and has not seen the video.

"Never would I disrespect someone's family like that. I find it disgusting. It brings me to tears to think about it."

Henriques says students did the right thing by eventually telling school authorities.

Both the teacher and students will be offered counselling to deal with the stressful events of recent days.

 

[GammyBird]

It was the right thing to do with him for sure. He definitly crossed "that" line.

 

[BlueZombie]

Yeah this story is raping the local news. He is a dumb ****, though. I saw that video out of curiosity and I would NOT ever recommend it to anybody.

Magnotta was one ****ed up POS.

 

[bertzie]

Students said that during a discussion of current events, and the Magnotta case, they had asked him to show the video and he apparently relented after they voted 22 to 3 in favour of watching it.

I'd say he's nowhere near as ****ed up as the 22 people that voted in favor of watching it.

 

[LiveSimply]

If I had a kid in that class, I'd be absolutely livid with that guy.

What kids have the potential to be exposed to these days through the web really numbs the senses.

 

[LiveSimply]

I'd say he's nowhere near as ****ed up as the 22 people that voted in favor of watching it.

As the sole adult in that room and as the teacher in that room, he had the responsibility to be the bloody adult and teacher, and should have utilized the moment to teach those 22 kids why their thought process was faulty.

 

[SWeAT hOg]

I'd say he's nowhere near as ****ed up as the 22 people that voted in favor of watching it.

The teacher is the adult in the room, completely in control of the curriculum. If this was a current events discussion, there are far more effective ways to tackle this most heinous crime. There has been some media coverage on the reaction of the family of the victim, who seemed to be a very gentle man. Discussing the impact of losing their son in a disgusting manner could have been a more meaningful lesson.

 

[bertzie]

As the sole adult in that room and as the teacher in that room, he had the responsibility to be the bloody adult and teacher, and should have utilized the moment to teach those 22 kids why their thought process was faulty.

A teacher teaching kids how to think? Their parents would crucify him for that.

 

[Zack]

feel my serpentine

 

[LiveSimply]

A teacher teaching kids how to think? Their parents would crucify him for that.

I can totally see this ridiculous scenario transpiring: "Well, kids, let's then take this opportunity to learn a lesson in representative government, shall we? We shall put this nasty little issue of the mutilation/cannibalization/necrophilia video matter to a vote, and do what the MAJORITY of you would like.".... basically the doctor allowing the patients run the asylum.

 

[naturalblack]

Unbelievable

 

[Groove Toad]

What kind of a moron teacher lets his students decide what he's going to do in a classroom.

"Grow a spine," or lose your job.

 

[Scooter2112]

I know a certain College Professor who shows the fictional movie "American History X" as an example of race relations to their students.

I suppose there aren't any real life accounts that are dramatic enough.

 

[Skintaster]

that's a pretty serious lapse in judgment and professionalism. I can't imagine what was going through this guy's head.

Besides... As much as I hate to say it, those kids could look that shit up themselves. The internet can be a scary place. Why would any teacher help them do it?

 

[PraXis]

Precious snowflakes are too soft these days.

 

[naturalblack]

I know a certain College Professor who shows the fictional movie "American History X" as an example of race relations to their students.

I suppose there aren't any real life accounts that are dramatic enough.

As a college professor he is teaching(for the most part) consenting adults. He would have had a better shot of getting away with what the guy here did

 

[bertzie]

that's a pretty serious lapse in judgment and professionalism. I can't imagine what was going through this guy's head.

Besides... As much as I hate to say it, those kids could look that shit up themselves. The internet can be a scary place. Why would any teacher help them do it?

I have a feeling it was something along the lines of "Maybe if I just play the ****ing video these annoying little shits will shut the **** up and let us move on."

 

[SWeAT hOg]

I have a feeling it was something along the lines of "Maybe if I just play the ****ing video these annoying little shits will shut the **** up and let us move on."

Nah he was a popular teacher with the kids....but forgot they are kids. I don't get anybody who wants to watch that filth

 

[12watt]

Zero point showing this in a school. What's to discuss? Technique?

 

[lespaul01]

Stupid mistake.