Teh One Who Knocks
10-10-2013, 11:18 AM
By Mary Beth Faller - The Republic
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A drama teacher at Cactus Shadows High School is on paid suspension while district officials look into parents’ complaints that he had students in an acting class perform a play with sexually explicit content.
Students in Andrew Cupo’s advanced drama class studied and read aloud “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?” by Edward Albee, an absurdist play in which one of the characters falls in love with a goat. It includes the use of several vulgar sexual terms.
The Cave Creek Unified School District governing board meeting on Tuesday night included two hours of public comment about the matter. Governing board members cannot respond to the public-comment portion and the matter was not on the agenda so no members addressed the topic during the meeting.
Three parents and one student spoke against the play, while about three dozen students and parents spoke in favor.
Elissa Ericson, head of the fine arts department at Cactus Shadows, said that Cupo had warned the students several times about the explicit content and offered several opportunities to opt out and study an alternative script. In addition, parents must sign a syllabus at the beginning of the semester that includes a statement that “students may be exposed to stories or characters that express views and beliefs that differ from their own or those of their parents.”
Student Emily McAtee said she felt uncomfortable reading the play.
“I never took the opportunity of the other script so that I didn’t seem discriminated against,” she said. “I understand Mr. Cupo’s point of what is metaphorically said within the script, but when we’re rehearsing these things and saying these things out loud, we’re not thinking of the metaphorical things, we’re thinking of who we’re trying to portray as the character.”
Over the weekend, a parent called the governing board members to complain about the play.
Governing board President David Schaefer said Wednesday that he told the parent to pursue the matter with the teacher and the principal.
“Obviously he and others chose a different route,” Schaefer said, adding that he couldn’t comment further on the open personnel matter.
On Monday morning, 10 parents visited the administration office at Cactus Shadows, asking to speak to the school resource officer about their complaints.
The police officer then questioned several students in the class about what happened in class.
Superintendent Debbi Burdick said that under district policy, any time there is a complaint, the teacher goes on paid administrative leave until the matter is investigated. Cupo left during the day Monday.
The Scottsdale Police Department said there is no incident report on file.
Efforts to reach Cupo for comment on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Burdick said that, depending on the results of the investigation, further actions could include anything from the teacher returning with the matter closed, to disciplinary action such as a letter in his personnel file, or dismissal.
Many at the meeting Tuesday night complained that the parents opposed to the play escalated the matter before talking to the teacher or principal.
Jacob Emnett is one of the students in the class who said he was called to the office and “confronted” by the parents.
“… We were asked what we thought of Mr. Cupo teaching bestiality. Ironic that they spoke to us of bestiality without the consent of our parents, the same act they condemn Mr. Cupo for. Where a few words or an e-mail would suffice, those who stand against him sought to tear him down.”
The parents of the questioned students also expressed their dismay at the meeting.
“My daughter was not negatively impacted by the play but she was negatively impacted by being asked in the office if she acted out this play and things she never would have thought of,” said Sharon Smith.
The class, Acting 5/6, is an advanced drama class that requires an audition for admission. In addition, students in the International Baccalaureate program can take the class and earn college credit depending on how well they score on the end-of-course exam.
The students performed “The Goat” in class, not publicly.
Several students and parents said Tuesday night that they believed the material was suitable because of the advanced nature of the class.
Guy McAtee, one of the parents opposed to the play, said he signed the syllabus at the beginning of the semester, assuming that the content of the curriculum had been vetted by the governing board.
“Having signed an acknowledgement of the course curriculum is in no way authorization for material of this nature to be approved,” he said.
“I’m sure that since it’s appropriate material, that the language I’m about to use will be approved by the school board,” he said before reading a passage that included several vulgar sexual expressions.
“That’s offensive to me,” he said, adding that it’s inappropriate for high school students.
In the play, a middle-aged man leads an ideal life with his wife and teenage son, until he admits that he is also in love with a goat named Sylvia, with whom he has had sex. The play explores themes of tolerance, morality and revenge, and includes scenes of homosexuality and incest.
Andrew Rimmer, another student in the class who was questioned by the officer, spoke in support of Cupo and the play, and said he’s read controversial material in other classes.
“This play was introduced to us as an absurdist play — absurd being a really key word. It wasn’t introduced as some sort of lesson to teach us something. It was introduced to us as a work of art,” he said.
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A drama teacher at Cactus Shadows High School is on paid suspension while district officials look into parents’ complaints that he had students in an acting class perform a play with sexually explicit content.
Students in Andrew Cupo’s advanced drama class studied and read aloud “The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?” by Edward Albee, an absurdist play in which one of the characters falls in love with a goat. It includes the use of several vulgar sexual terms.
The Cave Creek Unified School District governing board meeting on Tuesday night included two hours of public comment about the matter. Governing board members cannot respond to the public-comment portion and the matter was not on the agenda so no members addressed the topic during the meeting.
Three parents and one student spoke against the play, while about three dozen students and parents spoke in favor.
Elissa Ericson, head of the fine arts department at Cactus Shadows, said that Cupo had warned the students several times about the explicit content and offered several opportunities to opt out and study an alternative script. In addition, parents must sign a syllabus at the beginning of the semester that includes a statement that “students may be exposed to stories or characters that express views and beliefs that differ from their own or those of their parents.”
Student Emily McAtee said she felt uncomfortable reading the play.
“I never took the opportunity of the other script so that I didn’t seem discriminated against,” she said. “I understand Mr. Cupo’s point of what is metaphorically said within the script, but when we’re rehearsing these things and saying these things out loud, we’re not thinking of the metaphorical things, we’re thinking of who we’re trying to portray as the character.”
Over the weekend, a parent called the governing board members to complain about the play.
Governing board President David Schaefer said Wednesday that he told the parent to pursue the matter with the teacher and the principal.
“Obviously he and others chose a different route,” Schaefer said, adding that he couldn’t comment further on the open personnel matter.
On Monday morning, 10 parents visited the administration office at Cactus Shadows, asking to speak to the school resource officer about their complaints.
The police officer then questioned several students in the class about what happened in class.
Superintendent Debbi Burdick said that under district policy, any time there is a complaint, the teacher goes on paid administrative leave until the matter is investigated. Cupo left during the day Monday.
The Scottsdale Police Department said there is no incident report on file.
Efforts to reach Cupo for comment on Wednesday were unsuccessful.
Burdick said that, depending on the results of the investigation, further actions could include anything from the teacher returning with the matter closed, to disciplinary action such as a letter in his personnel file, or dismissal.
Many at the meeting Tuesday night complained that the parents opposed to the play escalated the matter before talking to the teacher or principal.
Jacob Emnett is one of the students in the class who said he was called to the office and “confronted” by the parents.
“… We were asked what we thought of Mr. Cupo teaching bestiality. Ironic that they spoke to us of bestiality without the consent of our parents, the same act they condemn Mr. Cupo for. Where a few words or an e-mail would suffice, those who stand against him sought to tear him down.”
The parents of the questioned students also expressed their dismay at the meeting.
“My daughter was not negatively impacted by the play but she was negatively impacted by being asked in the office if she acted out this play and things she never would have thought of,” said Sharon Smith.
The class, Acting 5/6, is an advanced drama class that requires an audition for admission. In addition, students in the International Baccalaureate program can take the class and earn college credit depending on how well they score on the end-of-course exam.
The students performed “The Goat” in class, not publicly.
Several students and parents said Tuesday night that they believed the material was suitable because of the advanced nature of the class.
Guy McAtee, one of the parents opposed to the play, said he signed the syllabus at the beginning of the semester, assuming that the content of the curriculum had been vetted by the governing board.
“Having signed an acknowledgement of the course curriculum is in no way authorization for material of this nature to be approved,” he said.
“I’m sure that since it’s appropriate material, that the language I’m about to use will be approved by the school board,” he said before reading a passage that included several vulgar sexual expressions.
“That’s offensive to me,” he said, adding that it’s inappropriate for high school students.
In the play, a middle-aged man leads an ideal life with his wife and teenage son, until he admits that he is also in love with a goat named Sylvia, with whom he has had sex. The play explores themes of tolerance, morality and revenge, and includes scenes of homosexuality and incest.
Andrew Rimmer, another student in the class who was questioned by the officer, spoke in support of Cupo and the play, and said he’s read controversial material in other classes.
“This play was introduced to us as an absurdist play — absurd being a really key word. It wasn’t introduced as some sort of lesson to teach us something. It was introduced to us as a work of art,” he said.