School Climate & Safety News in Brief

‘R’ Rating for Bully Film Generates Protests

By The Associated Press — March 13, 2012 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Fresh off his Oscar glory with “The Artist,” Harvey Weinstein is experiencing anything but silence when it comes to his next film.

The producer is protesting the “R” rating received by a documentary his company is releasing. “Bully,” directed by Lee Hirsch, is an examination of school bullying that follows five students and their families throughout a school year.

It received the rating, which restricts children under 17 from seeing it without an adult, because of six expletives. Mr. Weinstein claims such a rating restricts the audience the film can most benefit: high school teenagers.

The Weinstein Co. appealed the decision, but the Motion Picture Association of America, which oversees movie ratings, declined to lower the rating to a PG-13.

The director says editing the language would minimize the harsh realities of bullying.

Katy Butler, a Michigan high school student, has gotten more than 200,000 signatures for an online petition to change the rating.

Related Tags:

A version of this article appeared in the March 14, 2012 edition of Education Week as ‘R’ Rating for Bully Film Generates Protests

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety Leading a District After a School Shooting Is Hard. These Superintendents Want to Help
A network of superintendents who've led districts after school shootings plans to support colleagues recovering from similar crises.
4 min read
Photograph of crime scene tape and school.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
School Climate & Safety States Emphasize School Violence Prevention, Not Just Security
In the wake of school shootings in their states last year, legislators hope to avert future tragedies.
7 min read
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. The deaths in school shootings last year have led to new legislation in a half-dozen states.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week