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Memoirs Of A Naughty Teacher

Lawsuit: H.S. educator showed students photos of dismembered women

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Memoirs Of A Naughty Teacher

MAY 10--A Pennsylvania high school teacher showed his students photos of 'naked, murdered, and dismembered' women, had sexually explicit conversations with the teenagers, and provided them with a memoir in which he recounted losing his virginity, according to a new lawsuit. A U.S. District Court complaint filed yesterday in Scranton alleges that Bruce Smith, a history teacher at Pleasant Valley High School, exposed 16- and 17-year-old students to 'sexually explicit and offensive material' in class. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit, a copy of which you'll find below, are identified only as Jane and John Doe, though they appear to be parents of a student. Included as exhibits to the complaint are four photos of female corpses that Smith allegedly showed 'during his history class.' He also 'discussed push-up bras' with female students and recalled once skipping college classes to 'bang the cheerleader,' according to the lawsuit, which names the local school district and two administrators--but not Smith--as defendants. Additionally, the Does charge that Smith provided students 'his sexually explicit Memoirs of a Class President,' which includes passages about oral sex and other raunchy activity. The Does contend that after filing 'verbal and written requests' for school brass to address Smith's classroom behavior, they were 'retaliated against' by administrators who disclosed their identity, allowed Smith to 'scare victims,' and directed the teacher to contact them at home 'to somehow excuse his offensive, sexual conduct.' Smith and Pleasant Valley High School principal John Gress did not respond to phone and e-mail messages left by TSG and the Does's attorney, Cynthia Pollick, refused comment about the lawsuit. (9 pages)