WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – A politically conservative legal group set to take on the Watertown City School District after a September art lesson that the group says took kids to an unvetted website containing sexually graphic images.
A 7th grade art lesson at Case Middle School is being downplayed, says the American Center for Law and Justice. The group claims the lesson exposed students to pornographic images, and the school failed to protect students, violated parents’ constitutional rights, and traumatized kids.
7 News reported in September that Case Middle School students were learning about artist and activist Keith Haring, known for his pop art style and social activism on issues like AIDS.
A group of parents of 7th grade students was shocked to see what their kids were able to swipe through on their Chromebooks via a link sent out by their art teacher.
The link to the Keith Haring Foundation website includes photos of his art, including his interpretation of sex acts. One work depicts the dismemberment of a penis.
The lesson itself wasn’t directed at the specific images, but parents said the teacher told students they may see inappropriate material, and to ignore it.
“Parents experienced this, finding out their children have been exposed to something in school that they never would have wanted their children exposed to, and they didn’t. Step one wasn’t to call a lawyer. Step one was to call the school, try to figure out what happened, try to get accountability,” said Nathan Moelker, senior associate attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice.
The lesson upset Watertown parents who showed up at school board meetings this fall, including Stephanie Boyanski and Jessy Roberts, who are identified as clients of the ACLJ.
The group sent a letter dated November 21 to the school demanding accountability in four ways:
Put a letter of reprimand in the teacher’s file.Adopt a policy to not show sexually explicit content without parental notification.Future lessons that may be sexually explicit must have a parental consent form and allow parents to opt out.Counsel students affected by the recent art lesson at the school’s expense.
The ACLJ put a December 1 deadline on hearing back from the school district, or there could be litigation.
“What we’re trying to seek on behalf of these parents is to make sure it doesn’t happen again, right? That when something like this happens, it can’t be undone, but what a school can do is take steps to prevent it from reoccurring,” said Moelker.
When talking about the art lesson, back in October, Watertown teachers union President Kevin Todd told school board members there’s a “chasm of difference between an honest mistake and intentional actions,” implying the incident was an accident.
The ACLJ identifies the teacher as Bridget Gates. Last month, Gates resigned as an art teacher with the district and was rehired as an English teacher, and was on administrative leave as the school dealt with the matter.
Monday, we didn’t hear back from the school district.
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