Georgia- Ed Youngblood said he never considered the rating of the movie “Elizabeth” when he showed it to his English literature class.
“I didn’t think about it being R-rated,” he said. “It’s such a good movie.”
That decision has cost the popular South Gwinnett High School teacher his job. Youngblood, 62, said he resigned Wednesday after being given the choice of stepping down or being fired by Gwinnett County Public Schools.
The resignation has upset many current and former students at South Gwinnett.
“I understand that Mr. Youngblood broke a rule and you have to be punished, but I wouldn’t expect him to be forced out for this,” said Marcus Spencer, a former student who now attends Georgia State University.
Gwinnett County Public Schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach said she does not know if Youngblood was given that ultimatum. She said that Youngblood chose to resign after being told that an investigation had begun.
“It was clear that he did not follow the process,” Roach said.
Youngblood taught for 37 years before retiring at the end of the 2004-2005 school year. He continued working this year on a part-time basis, teaching British literature and Advanced Placement English. He is known as a demanding but popular teacher.
“If anybody were to give him substandard work, he’d let you know all about it,” said South Gwinnett alumnus Jonathan Townley, a junior at Georgia Tech. “He expected better things from us.”
Youngblood showed the movie as the class was beginning study of the Elizabethan period. Released in 1998, the movie is a portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I of England. The Motion Picture Association of America gave it an R rating for violence and sexuality. Youngblood said he had shown it once before with no complaints.
Gwinnett teachers are required to submit unapproved teaching materials to a board of students, teachers and parents for review. The board can approve or deny the usage of the material, or mandate that the teachers first gain parental permission. Youngblood showed the movie without going through any of those steps, Roach said.
“Teachers know it’s there and know if they want to bring in something that is not a part of approved instructional material, then this is how they need to go about doing it,” Roach said.
Roach said that after the movie was shown two weeks ago, the school and the county office received complaints. That prompted an investigation.
At a meeting with a county school official last Wednesday, Youngblood said he was prepared to apologize in writing to parents and teachers. But Youngblood said he was told he had a choice between resigning or being fired and he had five minutes to make his decision.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Youngblood said, who added that he chose to resign to not jeopardize other opportunities.
Spencer said he and others are considering some form of protest in hopes of restoring their former teacher.
It is at least the second instance of a teacher resigning after showing an R-rated movie at the school. In 2002, two special-education teachers were forced to resign after showing the 1981 comedy “History of the World Part I.”