Music from the radio is no longer allowed in classes in Rio Vista ISD after an incident Thursday involving a sixth grader, a PE teacher and a hip-hop song.
Rio Vista Middle School sixth-grader Randi Smith said she was rebuffed Thursday when she reported to teacher Renee Reeves that the song playing on the radio during class was not appropriate, ultimately leading to Principal Gary Peacock to ban radio music in classrooms the following day.
“There is no more listening to the radio in class,” Superintendent Dr. Rock McNulty said. “You just can’t monitor when a song is going to be played that offends somebody.”
From now on, music in classrooms must come from a controlled source such as CDs or tape cassettes, McNulty said.
When he found out inappropriate music was being played in his stepdaughter’s class, Chris Houston said he was “absolutely appalled about it.”
Smith was participating in a bowling unit during her PE class, and Reeves gave students permission to turn on the radio while they played.
Soon, rapper Lil Wayne’s Lollipop song came on the air, and Smith notified Reeves, telling her the song was inappropriate for class.
“I told her three times,” Smith said.
McNulty said Reeves went to the radio, listened for a bit and said she didn’t hear anything inappropriate.
Smith said Reeves’ inaction made her “very mad.” Smith told her mother, April Houston, who visited with Peacock after school.
McNulty said Peacock apologized, thanked Houston for reporting it and said he would look into it.
The next day, Peacock contacted Houston and her husband, Chris.
“Today he said that he didn’t find any problem with it, but he did say he listened to it over the PA system, so the music and the words weren’t very clear,” Chris Houston said. “He said he didn’t think there was a problem with it, but he also said he didn’t really get to hear it.”
McNulty said the district has taken the steps necessary to resolve future conflicts of this nature.
“We took swift action and reacted immediately,” McNulty said.
Before the incident, Reeves made it clear she was resigning from her position at RVMS at the end of the school year and is leaving the district, McNulty said.
“She’s a great teacher,” he said. “We have never had a complaint against this teacher.”
Calls to Reeves and Peacock were not immediately returned.
Chris Houston said what he wants from the district is simple.
“They just need to follow procedure. Songs that are going to be listened to by younger children need to be cleared with the school board,” Houston said. “The same goes for movies. I think that you shouldn’t show a rated R film to a class of 12-year-olds. I just expect them to follow policy, which they didn’t do.”
Houston said he is unsure about legal action against the district at this point but said he has consulted an attorney about the matter.
Local News
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May/June 2012 Community Life magazine
The May/June 2012 edition of Community Life magazine is available for online viewing. Click here to view.
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