Education Briefs

'The Passion' puts elementary school teacher in hot water

Ronald Anthony, a teacher at Malcolm X Middle School in Washington, D.C., was placed on paid leave after allegedly showing some of his students portions of Mel Gibson's controversial new film, "The Passion of the Christ".

At least 16 students viewed clips from the film, which violently depicts the final hours of Jesus Christ before dying on a crucifix.

Interim Superintendent for the District of Columbia Public Schools Elfreda Massie said that Anthony would not resume teaching until a full investigation regarding the incident was completed.

Anthony apparently told school officials he chose to screen portions of the film because it tied in with material students were reading in their textbooks at the time.

It is still unclear how Anthony obtained a copy of the film, which has not yet been released on VHS or DVD.



Recovering addict students find increasing support in colleges

Following a growing trend in colleges throughout the country, an increasing number of schools are starting to implement programs designed to help recovering alcoholics and drug addicts in college

Rutgers University was once the only school in the nation with such a program, though now more than a half dozen, including Texas Tech University and University of Texas at Austin, are implementing programs.

Although in many schools there are programs designed to reduce binge drinking and drug-related vandalism, there are not necessarily enough resources for actual addicts.

A 2002 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration survey found that an estimated 686,000 adults aged 18-25 received treatment for substance abuse problems over the past year.



UCLA administrator arrested for selling human cadavers

Henry Reid, head of the cadaver research program at the University of California, Los Angeles, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of grand theft. Employees at the university allegedly sold donated cadavers and body parts to researchers for profit, which is illegal despite the lightly regulated market.

Reid has been placed on leave, a school official said.

Before his arrest, Reid oversaw the university's Willed Body Program, which receives about 175 human cadavers each year for teaching and research purposes. There has been increasing pressure in recent years from relatives who claim bodies were not disposed of properly.

Although many medical schools have begun phasing out the use of human remains for research and teaching purposes, there is still a high demand for human body parts and tissues in biomedical and other commercial fields.

Reid has been detained on $20,000 bail in Los Angeles County Jail, and is scheduled to be arraigned today.



-- Compiled by Patrick Gordon from CNN.com and The New York Times