Alabama: WAFF reported that a high school history club’s trip to see the historical civil rights film Selma, was denied approval by DeKalb County school superintendent Hugh Taylor over concerns of language.
Taylor, who identifies as a Christian and a Republican, has not seen the PG-13 film, but claims he is concerned about obscene and racial profanity. “I deemed this movie in particular inappropriate and that’s my job as the head of the school system to make those decisions,” he said.
An African-American parent of one of the students, Reverend James Stanton, said, “I don’t believe it is just about the profanity.” Stanton, who was 20 years old in 1965, experienced the civil rights movement first hand, and expressed doubt. He questioned Taylor’s motives. “It raises my curiosity as to whether something that they are not wanting exposed or the children not to know about.”
Stanton also wondered what part of history the administration wants to hide and he said, “They did not want me to come down and visit because of the violence and the racial problems that they were having at the time.” He added that if his daughter would like to see the film on her own time, she is welcome to do it,
Taylor says his concern is about what might happen if a child was offended by the film and wanted to leave the theater. He asserts that it forces the school teachers to act as parents.
Taylor was elected DeKalb County school superintendent in 2013 despite concerns that he sends his own children to a private Christian academy.
WAFF-TV: News, Weather and Sports for Huntsville, AL
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