MIAMI, FLORIDA: In a shocking incident, a Florida fourth-grade math teacher at the Academy of Innovative Education in Miami Springs is facing severe backlash after allegedly showing her students 'Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey', a horror film released in February and containing scenes of violence, torture, nudity, and profanity.
Michelle Diaz's fourth-grade twins were left traumatized after viewing approximately 20 to 30 minutes of this disturbing film during a class. The children reportedly pleaded with the teacher to stop the movie, expressing their discomfort, but their requests were allegedly ignored.
Concerned mother claims school disregarded complaints about movie
"He didn't stop the movie, even though there were kids saying, 'Hey, stop the movie, we don't want to watch this,'" the parent told CBS.
Michelle, the concerned parent, promptly lodged a complaint with the school's administrators, voicing her distress over the traumatic experience her children endured.
However, she claims that her concerns were met with disregard, leaving her feeling "completely abandoned by the school."
In 'Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey,' the beloved characters, Winnie-The-Pooh and Piglet, take a dark turn as they embark on a murderous rampage after feeling abandoned by Christopher Robin.
The film features grotesque depictions of these characters engaging in violent acts, including the use of machetes and guns, bludgeoning, woodchippers, and strangulation.
School takes action to address incident
Diaz asserted that the students selected the movie but she added, "It's not for them to decide what they want to. It's up to the professor to look at the content."
The school has since issued a statement acknowledging the incident, stating that the movie was not appropriate for the age group, and that steps were taken to address the situation.
The statement also noted that a mental health counselor had met with some of the affected students. "Our administration promptly addressed this issue directly with the teacher and has taken appropriate action to ensure the safety and well-being of students," it read.
Head of School Vera Hirsh, in an interview with the Miami New Times, clarified that the movie was promptly turned off as soon as the teacher realized its inappropriate nature. Hirsh denied that any violent scenes were shown to the students, emphasizing, "Most of the film's grisly murder scenes take place later in the movie."
Social media express concerns
A user tweeted, "The movie is beyond horrific for 4th graders." Another added, "Wow....I live in FL and had to sign a permission slip for my 16-year-old son to watch the Matrix not 2 weeks ago. She needs to be underfire not only for not disclosing what she was doing but also completely inappropriate for 4th graders."
Another mocked on Facebook, "I honestly can’t help laughing because these little kids chose this movie."
"A lesson for the student, a learning experience for the parents and teachers, not news not a matter of public concern," commented a user.
"Should make for an interesting therapy session for them in 20 years," mocked another. "I had to get my parents to sign a permission slip when I was in the 6th grade just to be able to watch the Spongebob Movie…," read a comment.
