Nancy Lawson, Principal
Fisher Elementary School
2500 Old Orchard Road
Frisco, TX 75034
Dear Principal Lawson:
I was dismayed to read about one of your teachers losing her job after a trip to the local art museum. It seems that Ms. Sydney McGee took some students to the Dallas Museum of Art and was later scolded about it after a parent complained that a child was exposed to nude art.
The news report on this issue states that there may be other factors involved in the decision not to renew Ms. McGee’s contract. Regardless, it is the complaining parent who should be reprimanded in this situation.
Nudes are quite common in the art world, and thus can be found in most art museums. It is very unlikely that a nude in a museum would fall under the category of pornography. If this case is an exception, the parent should be complaining to the museum, not the school. To keep children away from museums out of fear that they might see a depiction of the human body would be to do the children a disservice. Not only would this deprive them of the enrichment that comes from seeing art, but it would be an attempt to protect them from something that is completely natural.
It seems as if Ms. McGee is being unduly punished. I hope she finds employment at a school that has an appreciation for children’s creativity and curiosity.
Truly,
Liz Mann
