Great Bridge student, parent unamused by Polanski 'Macbeth'

[Blue_Tires]

CHESAPEAKE

"Fair is foul, and foul is fair."

The parent of a Great Bridge High School student just calls last week's Shakespeare lesson filthy.

The senior English class compared film adaptations of "Macbeth." Among them: Roman Polanski's 1971 version, with shots of topless witches and an adolescent boy in the buff.

The controversial movie was named the best film of 1971 by the National Board of Review. But Morgan Thompson, a student in the class, wasn't enamored of it. In fact, the nudity and violence upset her so much that she told her dad.

"She came home and said, 'Oh, my God, you won't believe what happened,' " Bill Thompson said.

He called the school to complain. Thompson wants the teacher punished. If the school doesn't act, he said, he plans to pursue warrants against the teacher, alleging contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Thompson happens to be a local police officer.

Chesapeake schools spokesman Tom Cupitt said the showing of the film violated policy and that the personnel department is investigating.

"If you choose to bring something in, it has to be approved" by a school administrator, Cupitt said. "This was not done."

"Based on what their investigation finds out, they'll take the appropriate action," he said of the school's personnel department.

Cupitt could not say how long that could take or what the action might be. He declined to name the teacher because it is a personnel matter.

The teacher has not been in class since the film was shown, Morgan said.

The Pilot's attempts to reach the teacher by phone were unsuccessful. He is not being named because the school would not confirm his identity and legal action has not been taken.

http://hamptonroads.com/2010/01/great-bridge-student-parent-unamused-polanski-macbeth