Teacher Hands Out Playboy Masturbation Story to 11th Grade Students
Greg Van Voorhis, an English teacher at the Bronx School of Law and Finance, is accused of handing out sexually explicit reading material to his 11th grade students. Mr. Voorhis is known as an edgy teacher that frequently pushes the envelope. However, this time he might have pushed the envelope right off the table.
Mr. Voorhis is accused of handing over 100 students a copy of Chuck Palahniuk’s short story “Guts,” that was first published in a 2004 issue of Playboy magazine. If you are brave enough, you can read “Guts” here. However, be all ye warned that this is very sexually explicit. Essentially, the story uses pornographic language to describe events like masturbation while inserting a carrot into the anal orifice, masturbation while choking oneself, masturbation while inserting objects into the penis, etc… etc…
Mr. Voorhis apparently printed copies of the story off and allowed the students to read it while in class. Although he took the story back from the students, it wasn’t long before school officials were informed about the incident. The NY Department of Education has “reassigned” the teacher while an investigation is pending and says that if allegations are proved true, that would mean that the teacher violated school policy and his actions were not appropriate.
Some students are upset at how the school system has treated Mr. Voorhis. These students are calling the school prudish, and have even started a Facebook campaign to support him. “We’re not little kids. We are in high school,” one 15-year-old junior told the NY Post. Other students described “Guts” as: something we could learn from, nothing wrong with it, just a joke, etc…
My Opinion:
If this teacher in fact exposed these children to this sexually explicit material, then he should never teach again. He clearly showed a lack of judgment by – giving children material that they are not even old enough by law to purchase for themselves, giving children material with language in it that if the child used at school….they would be suspended for, ignoring parents rights to decide how their children are exposed to sexually explicit material, and ignoring school policy on curriculum and teaching materials. However, I doubt this teacher lacks the common sense to know that providing this material was unethical and wrong, as he made sure not to let the students carry the material out of the classroom.
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User Comments
Teves
On November 11, 2009 at 5:14 pm
Yeah thats good…
Tim
On November 11, 2009 at 7:44 pm
What are you talking about? Guts can, first of all, be purchased by anyone. Who cares if it’s sexually explicit? The kids obviously don’t, and aren’t they the ones that matter?
R J Evans
On November 12, 2009 at 6:16 am
I think the parents may care!
As an educator myself, I see this as nothing more than an abuse of trust. There is plenty of edgy literature out there that is aimed at teenagers – many of which (in Europe at least) are on the curricula. Stick with that and allow the kids to discover authors lile Palahniuk for themselves. I guarantee they will if that sort of literature appeals to them….
As for never allowing Voorhis to teach again, from my perspective that would very much depend on what his reasons were for doing this in the first place. If they were well intentioned – albeit misguided – then perhaps some retraining. If, however, it is discovered that he did this for his own (sexual) gratification then kick him out.
It sounds like he really should be teaching at university!
Chris Stonecipher
On November 12, 2009 at 10:35 am
Hi Jo,
I am not sure what that teacher was thinking. Sounds disturbing to me. Excellent reporting my friend:))
papaleng
On November 12, 2009 at 12:03 pm
As a teacher, I am bound to not only to teach the prescribed lesson but also deemed it necessary to shape up my students morals. As RJ stated there are other reading materials that can be used.
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