Escondido : Suspension Over Film in Class
Escondido High School teacher Bart Schwartz began a 15-day suspension without pay on Thursday because he showed a film to his math students in June which, among other scenes, depicted human autopsies, dismemberment and the torture and mutilation of live animals.
The suspension was ordered by the Escondido Union School District board Wednesday night after it met with Schwartz and his attorney privately. The board, which previously suspended Schwartz for 30 days with pay, had the option of firing him.
District officials declined to discuss their meeting with Schwartz.
The showing of the film “Faces of Death” prompted a $3-million lawsuit against Schwartz and the school district by a 16-year-old student who said she was denied permission to leave the classroom while the film was shown.
Schwartz showed about 30 minutes of the 90-minute film as a way of filling up class time during the last week of classes before summer recess.
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