LAUSD Rents Out Schools for Racy Entertainment
NBC4 investigates how some raunchy jokes and sexy shoots are interfering with student learning
K-12 NEWS NETWORK'S THE WIRE: For Once, The Local Media Uncovers The LAUSD Wizard http://bit.ly/1RA2vm4
This is the first of two stories on the impact on Hollywood filming on Los Angeles public schools. The second story is available here.
UPDATE: LAUSD Superintendent Ramon Cortines Thursday suspended all commercial filming at LAUSD schools pending an examination of the policies, a day after the first part of this story aired.
Citing limited budgets and a need for additional funding, Los Angeles Unified public schools have embraced Hollywood dollars.
To those in the entertainment industry, LAUSD properties offer a premium convenience: beautiful elementary, middle and high school campuses that can be dressed up as any school in America, as they have for films like "Drillbit Taylor" and "Mother's Day".
But after six months fighting for access to public records, reviewing thousands of pages of emails, permits and receipts from LA public schools, NBC4 has learned the millions of production-company dollars made each year by California's largest public school district may come at the cost of education.
Documents we obtained indicate school officials operating without much oversight into the type of content allowed on campus — or the interruptions to teachers and students.
Documents we obtained indicate school officials operating without much oversight into the type of content allowed on campus — or the interruptions to teachers and students.
Superintendent Ramon Cortines refused to interview with NBC4 on the topic, and later told investigative reporter Jenna Susko that is because the district's Office of Inspector General is now investigating. The district would not confirm whether any investigation was taking place at this time.
Raunchy jokes laced with obscenities from films such as "Bad Teacher" and television series such as HBO's "Shameless" are common at LA public schools. Records show much of the edgy content found on premium-cable shows such as HBO's "Big Love" and Showtime's "Masters of Sex" is filmed at schools.
And schools also rent to music video production crews, like the one that produced YouTube personality Trisha Paytas' "Hot for Teacher" video, which suggests a teacher having sex with a student in a bathroom stall, and a hit single "Break the Rules" from breakout singer CharliXCX, which glorifies "getting high and getting wrecked."
At Hollywood High School, the cast members of Glee posed for racy pictures, dressed as underage students, in the school's locker room.
The R-rated "Bad Teacher", which starred Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake and Jason Segal, filmed numerous scenes at two LAUSD middle schools, a scene depicting marijuana use on the drug-free campus and Diaz performing a LAUSD Rents Out Schools for Racy Entertainment | NBC Southern California: