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Teacher Jailed For Showing Class Violent Horror Movie

A scene from the horror movie <i>The ABCs of Death</i>. Photo: Monster Pictures
A scene from the horror movie The ABCs of Death. Photo: Monster Pictures

58-year-old Sheila Kearns was convicted on four felony counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in January, and has now been sentenced, as well as being handed three years' probation.

Kearns claimed that she had never seen the film before she showed it to her Spanish class in April last year, and had her back to the screen while it was playing.

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However, it emerged that she had played it to five separate classes through the day, a student testifying that she had indeed watched the 129-minute film.

She was spotted showing the film by the assistant principal at Columbus’ East High School, who then confiscated it.

Another scene from the violent horror film. Photo: Monster Pictures
Another scene from the violent horror film. Photo: Monster Pictures

The anthology horror movie, released in 2012, featured 26 different directors from some 15 countries shooting 26 short films, each on the subject of death, from gruesome accidents to murders.

The ‘chapters’ of the movie, which was watched by jurors, are variously titled Miscarriage, Orgasm, and Dogfight.

It wasn’t spectacularly well-received by critics on its release, most critics agreeing that it was conceptually impressive, but "wildly uneven".

One student who testified said that the movie was "disturbing" and that the class had gone "crazy" while watching it.

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The judge presiding over the case, Charles A. Schneider, said: "This is what happens when you put a teacher in a class that she cannot teach."

On the claims she was unaware of the film’s content throughout the day, he added: "There’s no way you’ll persuade me that’s what happened."

Kearns handed out a statement praising God to assembled reporters, featuring the Bible quote "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap".

She has since had her substitute-teaching licence revoked by the Ohio Department of Education.


Ben Arnold writes for Yahoo Movies UK.