The Teddy Bear Master
Encyclopedia
The Teddy Bear Master is a 2006 U.S.
film produced by a group of High School students which depicts a teacher being harassed by teddy bear
s during class, then later being killed by them, after he humiliates a student. The 78-minute film attracted international attention when it became the subject of two separate legal actions, firstly after the school expelled the students involved, then later when a maths teacher who shared the surname of the teacher in the film sued the producers for provoking "reasonably foreseeable emotional disturbance or trauma".
– worked on the film through the 2005–6 academic year, giving it a limited release on DVD
among friends in Summer 2006. Their film depicted a teacher by the name of Clevenger being harassed – and later killed – by evil teddy bears, and the choice of name displeased their Mathematics
teacher, who was also named Clevenger. Seeing the film as a threat to Clevenger, the school expelled the students. Two of the boys later sued, with a third joining the lawsuit later on, and they were eventually re-instated. Clevenger then launched a separate legal action against the four students for damages.
sued the school on behalf of two of the teenagers, Isaac Imel and Cody Overbay, arguing that school officials had violated the students' First Amendment rights, (i.e., that their free speech had been curtailed) and that the school had overreacted to what was described as a film parody. In response, school officials argued that the film was disruptive, particularly as the teacher who shared his name with the fictional teacher had regarded it as threatening. But while US District Judge Sarah Evans Barker
described the film as "vulgar", “tasteless", "humiliating" and "obscene", she did not believe school officials had proved it to be disruptive to school and ruled that the students should be allowed to return and to make up any work they had missed as a result of being expelled. The students were also ordered to write letters of apology to the teacher. A third student, Charlie Ours, later joined the action, while the fourth boy involved did not contest the expulsion. In March 2007 the board of the Charles A. Beard School Corp. voted 5–2 to settle the lawsuit with $69,000 worth of compensation being paid to the students. The boys also had the expulsion expunged from their school records.
On May 16, 2007, Daniel Clevenger – the Indianapolis
-based teacher concerned – filed a lawsuit for damages against the four boys. The lawsuit claimed that the film had mocked the teacher's appearance and mannerisms, as well as containing "graphic depictions of violence" and the murder of Clevenger and his wife. It stated: "The defendants intentionally created the 'Teddy Bear Master' and intentionally used the plaintiff's name in such a way that would provoke a reasonably foreseeable emotional disturbance or trauma." A Sky News
report from June 2007 quoted Clevenger as saying the students were aware that using his name would "provoke a reasonably foreseeable emotional disturbance or trauma", while his wife, Christine, said of the work: "The only thing I can say is they have wronged my husband... He's a very good person, he is a wonderful teacher, he's a wonderful father and he's a wonderful husband".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film produced by a group of High School students which depicts a teacher being harassed by teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
s during class, then later being killed by them, after he humiliates a student. The 78-minute film attracted international attention when it became the subject of two separate legal actions, firstly after the school expelled the students involved, then later when a maths teacher who shared the surname of the teacher in the film sued the producers for provoking "reasonably foreseeable emotional disturbance or trauma".
Background
The boys – Isaac Imel, Harrison Null, Charlie Ours and Cody Overbay, students at Knightstown International School in IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
– worked on the film through the 2005–6 academic year, giving it a limited release on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
among friends in Summer 2006. Their film depicted a teacher by the name of Clevenger being harassed – and later killed – by evil teddy bears, and the choice of name displeased their Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
teacher, who was also named Clevenger. Seeing the film as a threat to Clevenger, the school expelled the students. Two of the boys later sued, with a third joining the lawsuit later on, and they were eventually re-instated. Clevenger then launched a separate legal action against the four students for damages.
Plot summary
After he is embarrassed by his teacher, a student dubbed "The Teddy Bear Master" brings a group of stuffed teddy bears to life, then orders them to kill the teacher, Mr Clevenger. A group of students battle the bears in an attempt to save Clevenger, but Clevenger and his wife ultimately come to a sticky end.Responses
In November 2006, the American Civil Liberties Union of IndianaAmerican Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union is a U.S. non-profit organization whose stated mission is "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States." It works through litigation, legislation, and...
sued the school on behalf of two of the teenagers, Isaac Imel and Cody Overbay, arguing that school officials had violated the students' First Amendment rights, (i.e., that their free speech had been curtailed) and that the school had overreacted to what was described as a film parody. In response, school officials argued that the film was disruptive, particularly as the teacher who shared his name with the fictional teacher had regarded it as threatening. But while US District Judge Sarah Evans Barker
Sarah Evans Barker
Sarah Evans Barker is a United States federal judge.Born in Mishawaka, Indiana, Barker received a B.S. from Indiana University in 1965 and a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law in 1969. She was a legislative assistant for U.S. Representative Gilbert Gude in 1969 and for U.S....
described the film as "vulgar", “tasteless", "humiliating" and "obscene", she did not believe school officials had proved it to be disruptive to school and ruled that the students should be allowed to return and to make up any work they had missed as a result of being expelled. The students were also ordered to write letters of apology to the teacher. A third student, Charlie Ours, later joined the action, while the fourth boy involved did not contest the expulsion. In March 2007 the board of the Charles A. Beard School Corp. voted 5–2 to settle the lawsuit with $69,000 worth of compensation being paid to the students. The boys also had the expulsion expunged from their school records.
On May 16, 2007, Daniel Clevenger – the Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
-based teacher concerned – filed a lawsuit for damages against the four boys. The lawsuit claimed that the film had mocked the teacher's appearance and mannerisms, as well as containing "graphic depictions of violence" and the murder of Clevenger and his wife. It stated: "The defendants intentionally created the 'Teddy Bear Master' and intentionally used the plaintiff's name in such a way that would provoke a reasonably foreseeable emotional disturbance or trauma." A Sky News
Sky News
Sky News is a 24-hour British and international satellite television news broadcaster with an emphasis on UK and international news stories.The service places emphasis on rolling news, including the latest breaking news. Sky News also hosts localised versions of the channel in Australia and in New...
report from June 2007 quoted Clevenger as saying the students were aware that using his name would "provoke a reasonably foreseeable emotional disturbance or trauma", while his wife, Christine, said of the work: "The only thing I can say is they have wronged my husband... He's a very good person, he is a wonderful teacher, he's a wonderful father and he's a wonderful husband".