Teacher suspended over explicit assignment

By Kate Pastor

Greg Van Voorhis, a high school English teacher at The Bronx School of Finance, has a reputation for going above and beyond.

Last week he was accused of going too far.

The Department of Education is investigating a complaint triggered by a reading Mr. Voorhis assigned to his high school juniors, which is sexually explicit and describes masturbation. Pending the investigation, he was reassigned in the middle of a school day early last week, and students and some parents have been campaigning to get him back since.

Alumni and students created a “Save Mr. V” Facebook group and say they are responding not only to the investigation, but also to news reports that unfairly portray their beloved teacher as a pedophile instead of as the mentor they know.

They have started their own media campaign and 270 people, including this reporter for journalistic purposes, have joined the Facebook group as of press time. There are 450 students enrolled at the school.

According to the group’s wall, where people can post comments, students have organized a letter-writing campaign to school Chancellor Joel Klein and other city officials demanding Mr. Voorhis’ return.

It is unclear whether Mr. Voorhis has had any other complaints made against him, but he has never been suspended or removed. Department of Education spokeswoman Marge Feinberg would only say that Mr. Voorhis was reassigned following an allegation and that the Department of Ed is investigating.

“We cannot comment further without compromising the investigation,” she said.

The assigned reading in question, Guts by best-selling author Chuck Palahniuk, is a graphic coming of age tale about family secrets. Students say it was meant prepare students for the English regents exam.

Pushing limits

Provocative and unconventional, his supporters argue that Mr. Voorhis choice of literature reflects the edgy teaching methods he uses to keep students engaged and scoring high on the English Regents exam he prepares all the school’s students for.

Last year, 96 percent passed the test with a 65 or above, compared with 68.6 percent who passed citywide. Now the school is scrambling to find at least a temporary replacement before the January exam.

Students have pointed out that the author’s work could have fallen into their hands other ways, and is likely available at public libraries. To those who consider the material too explicit for the students’ ages, the teens retort that it isn’t teaching them about anything most of them don’t already know. One student credited Mr. Voorhis with encouraging her classmate to stay in school after she got pregnant.

Not everyone writing on the “Save Mr. V” page agrees with its premise. Some posters question his judgment while others vigorously defend him. At times, the online dialogue has devolved into threats and name-calling.

But one thing everybody seems to agree on is that Mr. Voorhis pushed the boundaries and earned the admiration of many of his students doing it.

“V just has a different way of grabbing students’ attention and it works,” said Charizma Lewis, 18, who said she was assigned the reading last year, before she graduated.

“Without him, no one would be able to pass the Regents,” she said, noting that she got a 90 on hers.

“The way he teaches, it opens our minds in different ways,” she said.

Father figure

He’s not only dynamic in the classroom, students describe Mr. V, or just V., as the type of teacher they go to with their problems, who takes an interest in their lives.

“He’s not only like a teacher, he’s like a friend and older brother to us. Some people consider him like a father figure actually,” said Samantha Reid, another recent graduate.

Senior Anthony Pascual, 17, was in his class last year and is worried that media reports will haunt his teacher for years to come.

“His name is tarnished forever even if he’s proven innocent,” he said. “Once Mr. V was gone I couldn’t turn a corner without hearing his name.”

To counter the weight of the bad news, Principal Evan Schwartz had been showing off an article in last week’s Press about the school’s new mock courtroom. Students have been preparing to argue a case eerily relevant to the new reality — testing how far first amendment rights extend to a high school student’s Facebook page if it interferes with school.

Lessons continued to come to life on “Save Mr. V”’s wall, where students quoted Shakespeare and spoke to Mr. V. in verse.”

Mr. Voorhis will be out indefinitely while the investigation is in progress.

This is part of the October 29, 2009 online edition of The Riverdale Press.

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