Girl's school film terror

David Henry

March 04, 2005

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UPSET: Stephanie Scudder

A TEENAGE girl has suffered crying fits and nightmares since being shown scenes from the graphic and violent film The Passion of The Christ during a religious education lesson at school.

Her mum now wants the teacher to apologise for showing the certificate 18 film to a class of 15-16 year olds and wants assurances it won't happen again.

Stephanie Scudder, 15, and her Year 11 classmates at Wright Robinson Sports College, in Gorton, were shown excerpts from the film last week.

The controversial Mel Gibson film shows, in graphic detail, Jesus being tortured on the Cross.

Stephanie was so upset she began crying and put her head on the table to avoid seeing the images. Other pupils were also upset.

The pupils were not warned they were going to be shown the film and parents were not asked to give consent. Stephanie, who is taking her GCSEs in the summer, said religious education used to be her favourite subject, but now she does not want to go into the lesson again.

She said: "It really upset me. The film was horrible and it was very violent. I've never seen such a violent film before. I've never seen a certificate 18-film.

Nightmares

"I believe in Jesus and it made me sad to see him tied to the Cross and cut into. I keep thinking about it and getting upset and I can't sleep at night because I have nightmares about it."

Stephanie's mother, Mary Murphy, said: "I was so shocked when I heard about this. Why on earth would you show an 18-film to a class of 15-year-olds? It's disgusting. I've not seen this film myself because I've heard it is so violent and I certainly don't want my daughter watching it. If I'd known she was going to be shown it I wouldn't have let her go into school.

"None of the pupils is aged 18 so the teacher should not have even brought the film into the school. They should act more responsibly.

"It's had a lasting effect on Stephanie. She can't sleep without having nightmares and doesn't want to go back into that lesson. She's doing her GCSEs soon and doesn't need this kind of upset."

She has demanded an apology from the teacher and wants guarantees from the school that something like this will not happen again.

Deputy head Fran Timmons said: "The children were shown an extract from the film. It was a mistake and shouldn't have happened. I apologise for any distress it has caused.

"The matter will be dealt with internally and we are reminding all our staff that they cannot show certificate 18 films in the school."

Should the film have been shown? Have your say.

UPSET: Stephanie Scudder had never seen an 18 film before PIC: EMMA WILLIAMS

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Jackie, Denton (04/03/2005 at 12:27)

I think this girl is over reacting just a little, she says she believes in Jesus and is upset about him being tied to the cross and being cut, but that is what happened to him. I would think that she has seen worse on any video nasty or computer game. I agree that the film was violent but that is what Mel Gibson tried to portray, that they would have beaten and tortured him.

julie, manchester (04/03/2005 at 12:34)

I agree the film should not have been shown to under 18's and the teacher was therefore wrong to do so but come on lets all be grown up about this i bet your daughter as watched 18's films before !!!!!!! Yeah it was very explicit but i bet shes watched worse stuff with her mates .

Scholes, Manchester (04/03/2005 at 13:32)

Is this girl after attention - she quite clearly doesnt believe in Jesus at all and just wants to stamp her feet like small children do having tantrums

Paul, Manchester (04/03/2005 at 14:08)

I don't hold out much hope of this girl surviving in the real world if she can't cope with scenes from an 18 film when she's 15. True, it may be upsetting, but come on - has she really never seen an 18 film before? I suppose she'd never seen a 15 before she got to that age either...? Sounds like she or her mother are after attention or compensation.

Rob, London (04/03/2005 at 16:49)

I would have still shown the film, (I might have warned parents though) it puts into pictures some of the accounts of the bible, and the bible isn't an 18, is it? scourging takes on a new meaning when you see it!
perhaps she should have seen the end too, Jesus was ok He rose again!
As a Christian she should go to her church and get prayed for, I am sure she will get sorted out quickly. We live in a real world, death happens, we need to get over it.

Hayley, Manchester (04/03/2005 at 17:15)

Sounds like this girl is doing a bit of good acting herself. The whole of the film an an 18 certificate. They were shown an excerpt, which was probably vetted by the teacher beforehand. It was obviously relevant to their studies or it wouldn't have been shown. How on earth will she get on in Biology classes!? I dread to think of her reaction when she has to watch a video of a woman giving birth.

This story is more than a little conspicuous. She's probably seen many 18 cert films before, but can't admit it as it will damage the claim they her and her mother are so obviously going to make against the school.

Caneta E. Papelle, Ottawa, Ontario (04/03/2005 at 23:28)

Mr. David Henry,

You state: "The children were shown an extract from the film." You do not identify which "extract" from the film was actually shown so we can ascertain IF, in fact, the scene this girl is complaining about IS as distressing as she claims.

I am surprised a reporter such as yourself did not pursue this critical point so we can judge for ourselves whether what Stephanie Scudder claims about "The Passion" truly is the case OR are you attempting to stir our conclusions towards her point of view? As you are no doubt aware, there are three sides to every story: your side, my side, and the TRUTH!

stef's bofriend, gorton (05/03/2005 at 16:20)

i am stef's boy friend and she has been having sleepless nights. just because you lot are used to explicit films with death and gore doesnt mean we all are. she is a caring, loving person and do this for attentionn nor compensation!

stef i will love you for ever, please get well soon. love you babes. xxx

stef please reply to this message, some one luvs ya.

Sue, Salford (05/03/2005 at 17:40)

Although I can't agree that a film classified as an 18 should have been shown to 15 year olds, what on earth is this girl going on about?

How many 18 films has she already watched with her friends, and not complained, or kept quiet about?

Sorry to say that kids today tend to get somewhat hysterical over the simplest things - God help the world when they turn 18 and officially reach adulthood.

Anyway, if she loves Jesus so much, I'm sure she would want to see exactly what he went through - after all Mel Gibson isn't expecting her to get crucified, is he?

In short, life's a beach, a real stoney, sharp rocks pointed upwards kind of affair; the sooner you get used to it the better - or do we reckon someone going to flick through the Yellow Pages and find themselves a 'no win no fee' solicitor?

Get a grip, Salford (05/03/2005 at 17:42)

Come on, it's only a film. If you'd have seen it in real life 2000 years back, then I'd have understood, but remember, the actor playing Jesus, wasn't killed in it, he's probably out there somewhere, looking to make another film.

Anna, Didsbury, Manchester (08/03/2005 at 16:46)

It increasingly seems that religious people lose some of their ability to think. How can any thinking person (the teacher in this story, the film's distributors, most of those who have commented already here) think that a movie which portrays, as believably as possible with all of the tricks of make-up, editing and special effects, someone being flayed alive, is anywhere near suitable for required or unwarned viewing by anyone, of any age, in the course of a normal school day or anywhere? The film was made using porn industry actors for a specialist audience who have a particular fetish for contemplating human suffering, and certain hatreds, which some call religious. If that's their thing then I guess they have a right to watch it, but they can have no right to push it on others, whether children or not. Those who are deriding the girl who quite rightly complained need to consider their understanding of others' right to decide their own boundaries. Showing this film in a school class was abuse, deriding someone who complains at abuse is to be complicit in abuse.

Kendal, Manchester (10/03/2005 at 10:57)

This film obviously upset her, but and the end of the day worse things go on in Manchester everyday. If she is a religious person then she would of known what she was about to see before she watched the film.

Vicki, Prestwich Manchester (14/03/2005 at 16:39)

As a 15 year old, I am in my 4th year of high school. Recently in our 'Life Skills' lessons, we have been studying Animal testing and animal rights. We were then made to watch a video containig scenes in laboratories showing animals bein tested on. It was mentally and emotionally disturbing to watch, and after 5 minutes, all the girls and the teacher, wanted to turn it off. Surprisingly, most of the lads were disturbed too, but there were the few who wanted to keep it on. It disgusts me that boys of my age, find this sort of tortchure entertaining. For me, as an animal lover, it made me feel sick and i had to look away.

Paul, Burton (16/03/2005 at 15:45)

Grow up girl!!!! How on earth are you going to survive in the big wide world if you can't even handle a bit a stage makeup. You've had your little tantrum and 5 minutes of fame so start living your life.

julie, manchester (16/03/2005 at 18:18)

Grow up girl im sure that you & your boyfriend have watched lots of 18's films at your age i wasnt even aloud boyfriends get a life and stop all this whinging

John, Manchester (17/03/2005 at 09:16)

C'mon girl, pull yourself together. I think that you may have done this for a bit of attention, and it's gotten out of hand, time to let this die down and be forgotten. As for the school showing the film, I wish I had had the chance to see films like this when I was at school, instead of the terrible and boring religious films we saw. I think I finally stopped believing when I saw Brian Cant describing Judaism in a kipper tie!

John, Manchester (17/03/2005 at 09:17)

michelle, manchester (18/03/2005 at 00:55)

i think this is all to do with this girl does not like r.e! and this is all a big excuse for not going! surely this cannot scare a 15 year old girl, she can belive what she wants happened but the truth is the truth hey! and if she believes the lord or whatever dies this way then what is the problem?? he died she knows it, it is a video not true, get a grip girl, move on and get to class!!!

Sharon, Hyde, Cheshire (18/03/2005 at 14:47)

I'm 36, and I saw this film at the cinema. Some of the scenes in it are extremely graphic and prolonged, and they made me feel so physically sick,I had to go outside for 10 minutes.
I'm no wimp,and I've watched plenty of '18' rated films, but the degree of violence, and the fact that this is what we are to believe actually happened to Jesus, make it completely different. It was designed to shock, and it certainly does. I wouldn't be happy with my children watching any part of it at school.
Stephanie, there is nothing wrong with being sensitive and caring. Perhaps the world would be a better place if there were more people like you around.

MIT, Lancaster (09/05/2005 at 11:45)

Hello!!!!!!!!!!!

Peres Von Darst, Manchester (31/08/2005 at 16:56)

I've never heard of a teenager who doesn't love watching Cert 18 films!

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