Jill Porter | The 90-minute lapse that killed a 19-year career
SHOWING A DVD ABOUT THE F-WORD IN CLASS WAS A MISTAKE . . .BUT WHY A FATAL ONE?

JEFFREY SMITH has been a stickler for rules and propriety during his 19 years as a Philadelphia public-school teacher.

He wears a tie every day. He doesn't allow food, cell phones or headphones in his class at William Penn High School. If you don't do the work in his class, you flunk.

In fact, he was so incensed that his principal changed his flunks to passing grades last spring that he created a mini-scandal by leaking that story to the Inquirer.

Smith, a father of four, is just as I remembered him when we attended Germantown High together, where he was vice president of our senior class: straight-laced and as hip as a pocket protector.

He's the last person you'd expect to do something so outrageous that it upended his life and ended his career.

Smith, 61, was terminated after showing his journalism class a DVD about the f-word that included scenes of graphic sex and every obscenity you can imagine.

He said his intent was to teach his students about a word they use so casually and constantly - a word he believes has coarsened the school environment - in a movie that explored the limits of the First Amendment.

He said he didn't know the film included a 38-second sequence of a couple having sex. (He timed it later.)

But his actions were found "inexcusable" by regional superintendent Janet Samuels, who upheld the principal's decision to fire him.

Smith admits he made a mistake in judgment.

But he believes his intentions were honorable and his years of exemplary service, with no disciplinary infractions, ought to have mitigated the punishment.

"I feel wronged," he said.

I think he obviously should have known better - but that perhaps he could have been spared.




It was mid-May and Smith's 11th-grade journalism students were restive and tired of writing stories, he said.

And he was tired, as usual, of their language.

"The climate in our school is disruptive and disrespectful, and obscenities are so frequent that they are draining," he said.

"I have 14 kids in this class and, modestly, two or three of them can't talk without using the f-word constantly."

So he found himself searching Blockbuster online for a documentary about the word to show in class. He found "F*CK," a 90-minute movie whose descriptive blurb sounded "scholarly":

"The Queen Mother of all dirty words . . . is examined through all its linquistic, sociological, legal and ethical implications in this documentary," it said.

By definition, the DVD included obscenities.

"I knew I was being daring and being challenging to them," Smith told me.

"I did not feel I was being inflammatory or appealing to their prurient interest."

Smith said he intended to send home parental permission slips, but never got around to it. He said he never got around to previewing the entire movie either.

And when he was in class and the scene of a couple copulating on stage came on - a sequence designed to show the difference between American and European attitudes towards sex - he said he just "froze."

The scene played out along with others showing sexual encounters, including simulated sex between Barbie-esque dolls.

When Principal Patricia Admiral Randzo found out about it later that day, she interviewed students, watched the video - and recommended Smith be fired.

"His disregard for the safety and well-being of all of the students in his class constitutes negligence," she wrote in her incident report.

"His decision to show this content was immoral."

Smith, though, believes she was motivated partly by "retaliation" for press reports that spurred an investigation into the grade-change controversy. Randzo changed the grades of 90 pupils and was found to have violated school district policy by not informing the district or the teachers, according to the Inquirer.

He also sent an e-mail to former schools CEO Paul Vallas complaining about her, he said.

Randzo referred me yesterday to the district's communications office, which declined to comment.

Let's be clear. The movie isn't an X-rated, prurient video.

It's a hilarious and enlightening exploration of the f-word and includes commentary from Pat Boone to Ice-T, from religious professors to porn stars.

You can understand how a teacher desperate to engage his students and sick of rampant profanity would consider it provocative and worthwhile.

Surely, few modern teenagers would have their sensibilities inflamed, despite the principal's assertion that seeing the video "may have caused serious damage to the minds of the students."

Still, two of the eight pupils who wrote reports for the principal complained about the documentary's content.

"This movie was very disturbing," one of them wrote.

So was it appropriate for the classroom? Especially without parental permission?

Not on your life.

Jeff Smith acknowledges as much.

"I'm not saying what I did was right," he said.

But he adds: "I feel it wasn't grounds to be terminated."

Smith chose to retire rather than appeal, to protect accumulated vacation and sick-leave pay.

Truthfully, I can't fault the School District for its decision to fire him, given the extremity of the misjudgment.

But I can't fault Smith, either, for thinking that 90 minutes of a DVD shouldn't negate 19 years of service to city schoolchildren.

In any case, his story is a sad and riveting tale of a life that imploded, the way so many lives do - and all of our lives could - over one inexplicable and uncharacteristic lapse in judg-ment. *

E-mail porterj@phillynews.com

    The handsome and talented Steve Anderson is the producer/director of "Fuck" which was released theatrically by THINKFilm and made audiences laugh and swear at film festivals around the world. His first film "The Big Empty," starred Jon Favreau, Kelsey Grammer, Daryl Hannah, Rachael Leigh Cook and Sean Bean. Anderson's very cool media company, Mudflap Films, is currently working on new feature projects, including "Bob The Impaler" and "Pink Butterfly." Steve is also one of the original guitarists and songwriters in the legendary jam band Slipton Fell.

    A Peabody Award-winning cameraman, Steve has shot seven national documentaries for PBS and thousands of hours of broadcast television. He's been charged by lions on the Serengeti Plain, caught fire in the Malibu fires and rattled homeless by an earthquake. He's been blessed by Mother Teresa, danced with Angelyne, and has seen John Wayne Bobbit's penis. Anderson has gotten drunk with Captain Kangaroo, flirted with Raquel Welch and smoked hash with Hunter S. Thompson. Steve's been trained as a Hollywood stunt driver, flown aerial acrobatics and shot hoops with Magic Johnson. He's been shot at in the L.A. riots, chased O.J. up the freeway and witnessed both breast and ass implants. Anderson has lounged in the grotto at the Playboy Mansion, walked the red carpet at the Oscars and met celebrities, politicians and movie stars from the Flying Elvises to Bozo the Clown to President Bush.

    Steve is single and lives in Santa Monica, CA.

natch

Hey, everybody. I've got a brand new day-to-day blog where I'll chronicle the adventures of "Fuck" and other fun stuff. Please stop by and say hey. Click on the Mudflap Cafe link below...

Mudflap CAfe

Tell your friends and warn the neighbors.

It's official.

Starting Nov. 10th, "Fuck" will be unleashed on the following screens across America, released by THINKfilm.

Nov. 10th
Los Angeles - Landmark Nuart
New York City - Quad Cinemas

Nov. 17th
San Francisco - Landmark Lumiere
Berkeley - Landmark Shattuck
Chicago - Landmark Century
Minneapolis - Landmark Lagoon

Nov. 24th
Santa Fe - CCA

Dec. 1st
Toronto - Bloor Cinema
Portland - Cinema 21
Seattle - Landmark Varsity
Washington DC - Landmark E Street
Atlanta - Landmark Midtown Art
St. Louis - Landmark Tivoli

Dec. 4th
Austin - Alamo Drafthouse

Dec 8th
San Diego - Landmark Ken
Boston - Landmark Kendall Square

Dec 15th
Columbia, MO - Ragtag Cinema
Calgary - Uptown

Dec 27th
Springfield, MO - Moxie

Dec 29th
Hartford - Real Aart Ways
Saskatoon - tba

Jan 5th
Rochester, NY - Little

Jan 13th
Cleveland - Cleveland Cimematheque

RAINSTORM ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH NORTH BY NORTHWEST ENTERTAINMENT

A MUDFLAP FILMS PRODUCTION

FUCK

Dedicated to Hunter S. Thompson and David Shaw


Directed By Steve Anderson

Produced By Steve Anderson


Executive Produced By
Steven G Kaplan    Bruce Leiserowitz    Gregg L Daniel


Executive Produced By
Jory Weitz    Richard Ardi

 

 

Co-Produced By
Christine Pechera    Christine Beebe    Ian Kennedy

Director Of Photography

Andre Fontanelle


Editor

Jayne Rodericks

 

Original Animation By

Bill Plympton


Original Music By

Carvin Knowles

 

Music Supervisor

Dondi Bastone

 

Interviews

 

Janet M. LaRue

Robert W. Peters

Alanis Morissette

Drew Carey

Sam Donaldson

Ben Bradlee

Alan Keyes

Chuck D

Pat Boone

Sandra Tsing Loh

Bill Maher

Dave Marsh

Geoffrey Nunberg

Jesse Sheidlower

Robert Corn Revere

Steven Bochco

David Milch

Hunter S. Thompson

Judith Martin

Reinhold Albert Aman

Ice-T

Dennis Prager

Evan Seinfeld

Chuck Conconi

Michael Medved

Janeane Garofalo

Billy Connolly

Kevin Smith

David Shaw

James O Connor

Ron Jeremy

Tera Patrick

David Skover

Timothy Jay

John Crossley


Co- Producers

Ian M Kennedy  Christine Pechera  Christine Beebe


Additional Editing By

Bipasha Shom & Mark Imgrund


Clips Supervisor

Barbara Gregson


Animation

Bill Plympton - director, animator
Biljana Labovic - producer, editor
Signe Baumane - colorist
Lisa LaBracio, Kerri Jaworski - production assistants
Jeremaih Dickey - audio trac reading


Animation Voices

Female Voice    Michelle Krusiec

Male Voice     Steve Anderson

Bartender    Andre Fontanelle


Production Services by

 Eaglevision Entertainment

Bryan Shepard


Camera Rentals Provided by

Simon Fanthorp


Additional Camera Services By

 2Kid Productions

Bill Langley


Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Intern

Christine Beebe


Intern

Brian Peck

Scott


Special Thanks

John Casey

Glenn Smith

Simon Fanthorp

Don & Pat Anderson

Jake & Olivia (Shhh)

Marc Andrew Pechera

Anita Thompson

Laila Nabulsi

Joey Lauren Adams

Geoffrey Nunberg

Los Angeles Public Library

National Aeronautics and Space Agency

National Archives & Records Administration

The White House

The Enron Tapes.com

The Federal Communications Commission

Footage.net

The Prelinger Collection

American Dialect Society

Kim Adams

Aaron Coe/Archival Sound Labs


News Archives

ABC News

CSPAN

CBS Archives

CNN

Fox News/ ITN

MSNBC

NBC

BBC

Budget Films

Corbis Motion

Conus/Manhattan Bureau

Producers Library Service

Vanderbilt Archives


POST PRODUCTION

Ian M. Kennedy - Post Production Supervisor

Jason A. Payne - Online Editor

Tami Rotchford - Main Title Design / Graphic Design

Don Caron - Supervising Sound Editor / Mixer

Greg Gower - Sound Editor

Dave Hawkins - Media Wrangler

Paul Warfield - Post Production Assistant

FILM CLIPS

"Woodstock" 

provided courtesy of Warner Bros.

"Punch Drunk Love"

 provided courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

"Terms Of Endearment"

 provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures

"The Big Lebowski"

 provided courtesy of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment

"Sideways"

provided courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

"Bad Santa"

provided courtesy of Dimension Films

 

"Old School"

provided courtesy of Dreamworks SKG

"Saving Private Ryan"

 provided courtesy of Dreamworks SKG/Paramount Pictures

"Eddie Murphy Raw"

 provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures

"Richard Pryor Live In Concert"

 provided courtesy of MPI Home Video

"All The Presidents Men"

provided courtesy of Warner Bros.

South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut"

provided courtesy of  Paramount Pictures

"Team America"

provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures

"Mommie Dearest"

provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures

"Planes, Trains, and Automobiles"

 provided courtesy of Paramount Pictures

"MASH"

provided courtesy of 20^th Century Fox

"Scarface"

1932 Version provided courtesy of United Artists/Universal Pictures

"Scarface"

1983 Version provided courtesy of Universal Pictures

"Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back"

provided courtesy of Miramax Films

"Clerks"

provided courtesy of Miramax Films

"Pulp Fiction"

 provided courtesy of Miramax Films

"Kill Bill: Vol 1"

provided courtesy of Miramax Films

"Shaun Of The Dead"

provided courtesy of Working Title Films

"Meet The Parents"

 provided courtesy of Universal Pictures

"Meet The Fockers"

provided courtesy of Universal Pictures


TV CLIPS

The Dick Van Dyke Show

Seinfeld

 

The Sopranos

 

NYPD Blue

 

Deadwood

 

 

MUSIC

 

IF I HAD THE COPYRIGHT (The F-Word Song)
Written and Performed by Carla Ulbrich
Courtesy of

FREEDOM OF SPEECH
Written by Ice T
Performed by Body Count and Jello Biafra
Courtesy of Sire Records
By arrangement with Warner Strategic marketing

 

VULUKE KHALL
Written by Laszlo Szell
Performed by DJ Bootsie
Courtesy of Ugar Records

 

REVOLUTION STARTS NOW
Written and Performed by Steve earle
Courtesy of E-Squared
By arrangement with Artemis Records

 

BAD MOTHERFUCKER
Written by Peter Evans, Gene Griffin and Paul Wright
Performed by Miracle
Courtesy of Universsal Records
By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises

 

I CAN'T SAY THESE THINGS
Written by Ed Grenga, Arthur Johnson,
Michael McMahon and Douglas Stevens
Performed by Red Peters
Courtesy of Oglio Records

 

SHUT UP AND FUCK
Written and Performed by Betty Blowtorch
Courtesy of Food Chain
By arrangement with Natural Energy Lab

 

FUCKING FUCKING FUCK
Written by Walter Fischbacher, Elizabeth Lohninger and
Pete Macnamara
Performed by Splatpattern
Courtesy of Spiny Norman

 

FUCK OFF
Written by Bulee Gaillard and Harry Squires 
Performed by Slim Gaillard
Courtesy of Verve Records
By arrangement with Universal Music Enterprises

 

A CHAT WITH YOUR MOTHER
Written by Lou and Peter Berryman 
Performed by Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer

 

Courtesy of Rounder Records
By arrangement with Ocean Prk Music Group

 

FUCK HOLLYWOOD
Written by Mark McGee and Mark Noah 
Performed by Anti-Heroes
Courtesy of Taang records

 

FUCK THE MACARENA
Written by
Performed by Adam Sandler
Courtesy of Slammin' Vinyl

 

DON'T FUCK AROUND WITH LOVE
Written by Claude DeMetrius and Joseph W. Burns  
Performed by The Blenders
Courtesy of Joe Davis Records

 

HALLELUJAH CHORUS
Composed by Joseph Handel
Courtesy of

 

HANGIN' LOW
Written and Performed by Carvin Knowles
Courtesy of

 

BAD WORD FOR A GOOD THING
Written by Dean Roher and Ben Vaughn 
Performed by The Friggs
Courtesy of E-Vil Records

 

FUCK THA POLICE
Written by Ice Cube and Lorenzo Patterson
Performed by NWA
Courtesy of Ruthless Records

 

SURFIN' BIRD
Written by Al Frazier
Performed by The Trashmen
Courtesy of
By arrangement with

 

I LOVE TO SAY FUCK
Written by Joey Jordison 
Performed by Murder Dolls
Courtesy of Roadrunner Records

 

F THE CC
Written and Performed by Steve Earle
Courtesy of E-Squared
By arrangement with Artemis Records

 

IF I HAD THE COPYRIGHT (The F-Word Song)
Written by Carla Ulbrich
Performed by Deke Dickerson
Courtesy of Ecco-fonic Records

 

 

 

In Memory of my mother, Marilyn Bailin.

One day, over thirty years ago, she brought home from the record store a copy of George Carlin's latest album, "Class Clown". Mom would have enjoyed this film"  

-Bruce

 

 

FUCK