Published: April 1, 1995

Current Events in Brief

R For Restricted

A Minnesota school district's decision to bar the showing of R-rated movies in classrooms has drawn fire from a local teachers' group and the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union. The Anoka-Hennepin district adopted the policy earlier this year after an art teacher attempted to show The Piano to a high school class. The film, which contains nudity and adult themes, was rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America, meaning children under 17 must be accompanied by a parent at theaters. In addition, the local school board ordered teachers to give parents five days' notice before showing a film rated PG-13 by the MPAA. The local teachers' union has filed a grievance over the policy, arguing that it interferes with the teachers' right to select appropriate educational materials. And the MCLU has threatened a lawsuit. "It's a blanket ban,'' says Kathleen Milner, the group's legal counsel, "and it doesn't look at the merits...