A local Miami charter school is under fire for exposing the school kids to unsuitable movie content. The issue came to light when several parents of the students complained about the ‘inappropriate’ movie that was shown to their kids at school.
Local Miami Charter School Faces Criticism Over Improper Movie Showcasing
Michelle Diaz, a parent, is completely distraught at the Miami charter school after how they handled the situation. She said she felt “completely abandoned” by the school after the meeting with the school principal.
She is furious about the way The Academy of Innovative Education, a K-12 charter school in Miami Springs, has responded to accusations from parents.
She mentioned that her 4th-grade twins were very upset due to a movie their mathematics teacher showed the class on the 2nd of October.
The parents of the K 12 students have expressed their concerns over the “careless teacher” who exposed their kids to unsuitable movie content.
“They were exposed 20 to 30 minutes to a movie called Winnie the Pooh, Honey and Blood,” shared Michelle.
Here’s a look at the movie’s trailer:
This movie has no rating (NR) from the Motion Picture Association of America. As per Wikipedia, it is a story about two ruthless killers, one of whom wears a Winnie the Pooh mask over their face. The two killers are on a mission to terrorize college-going girls.
The mother of the twins further revealed that the teacher did not stop the movie even after the kids asked him to. She said,
“He didn’t stop the movie, even though there were kids saying, ‘Hey, stop the movie, we don’t want to want this.'”
When Ivan Taylor from CBS New Miami inquired who chose the movie, Diaz replied that the teacher said that the kids picked the movie. She continued,
“It’s not for them to decide what they want to, it’s up to the professor to look at the content.”
The Academy of Innovative Education, located at 1080 La Baron Dr. in Miami Springs, falls outside the jurisdiction of Miami-Dade Public Schools. Being a Miami charter school, they are responsible for recruiting and hiring their own personnel.
Miami Charter School’s Response
The head of the school, Ms. Vera Hirsh, responded with a statement to CBS News Miami where they admitted that the movie was “not suitable” for the young students.
The statement also mentioned that the school had taken necessary action to ensure the welfare of its students.
“The Academy for Innovative Education has become aware that a segment of a horror movie was shown to fourth graders, Monday, October 2, 2023, that was not suitable for the age group. Our administration promptly addressed this issue directly with the teacher and has taken appropriate action to ensure the safety and well-being of students.”
She further added that the students will be consulted by their mental health counselor to address their concerns.
“We are actively monitoring the students and our mental health counselor and principal have already met with those students who have expressed concerns.”
Speaking with CBS News Miami, Michelle Diaz stated that she wanted a different professor for her kids. When asked if she expressed her concerns to the Miami charter school, she said,
“[They said] they are going to handle it internally, like they always do. They are very careful.”
