Actor-Teacher Richard Graffanino, who knows how to play a teacher, but not how to act like one.
Yes, there apparently is an Actor-Teacher Showing His Middle School Class Film Clips Of Himself In Bed With A Naked Actress As He Regales The Students With His Romantic Designs On Another Teacher While Wagering On NFL Games Using Food As Bets Principle.
The principle: such teachers get fired, and are damn lucky if that’s the worst thing that happens to them.
I sure hope the A-TSHNSCFCOHIBWANAAHRTSWHRDOATWWONGUFABP doesn’t come into play often, but nothing surprises me any more.
River Dell Middle School teacher Richard Graffanino, teaches impressionable young teenaged minds, and he also acts professionally, with roles on “Law & Order,” “30 Rock,” and some independent films. He was suspended in September of 2013 after complaints from female students, and a sexual harassment claim by a fellow teacher. It looks like he is going to be fired, following an arbitrator’s report last month that found that Graffanino showed a sexually-oriented, inappropriate video, featuring him, in class; discussed his personal relationship with another teacher; and was “inappropriately using food when interacting with students.”
Don’t see that last one very often, no siree. You can read the entertaining details here, and here, but I would like to have answers to these questions, which are vastly more difficult that the question the arbitrator and the school have to deal with—Should Graffanino be fired? (YES!!!!)—or even the related question of whether he should be shot, to which I would answer no, but I understand the impulse. Here are my questions:
- How does someone this completely unprofessional get a job teaching anyone or anything
- Why did it take so long to realize he shouldn’t be allowed to watch “Glee” or even old videos of “Room 222,” much less be exposed to actual students?
- What other so-called profession contains practitioners this inept and devoid of common sense? If he were a doctor, he would be giving fake diagnoses just to “mess with them.” If he were a truck driver, he’s drive with his feet, If he were U.S. Attorney General, he’d…well, I guess he’d be pretty much like the one we have, so never mind.
- Do we really have to tell teachers, “Now, don’t show old clips of you in movies where you’re just had sex with a naked actress?” Do we really have to tell them, “Now, don’t discuss your romantic exploits involving colleagues with the 13-year olds in your classes”?
- Most of all, when will this vital but drifting profession—teaching—be responsible and develop a universally observed Code of Ethics and Professionalism, so their members who lack any common sense whatsoever at least have some guidance?
Oh! I nearly forgot!
Kaboom.
Ethics Alarms 
To be completely fair, “inappropriately using food when interacting with students” really does suggest something entirely different that having food be the tokens in wagers on NFL games…
You have a dirty mind, but I’m ashamed to admit, so do I…
Would a code stop A-TSHNSCFCOHIBWANAAHRTSWHRDOATWWONGUFAB? If it could be useful in getting the Richard Graffanino’s of the world fired I could get behind it. As a guide decent teachers don’t need it and bad teachers won’t be guided by it. As an enforceable rule yes, go for it. I’ll be the first to sign the petition.
Sure. This guy is either stupid or clueless. Someone needs to give him a book that says “Don’t do this,” and it’s quite possible that he won’t.
That’s what I was thinking. Clearly it’s already against the rules, as he’s getting fired for it. Sure it had to go through arbitration or whatever, but with the strength of teachers’ unions you’re not ever going to get around that. Codes of conduct that have to tell you not to do what this guy did only serve to be one more piece of paper and hour of training that decent employees sit thorugh and idiots merrily let sift in one ear and out the other.
This speaking as someone who has been party to firing people for throwing axes at other people, Giving her number to 16 year old Scouts with an offer to hook up after the camp season, and Pooping in someone’s sleeping bag- all of them were stunned when they got fired for those things, too. Stupid people gonna do stupid things.
Which is why it is a good idea, if you are going to hire stupid teachers, to give them clear guidelines. All Codes of Ethics are “obvious.”
Codes, Rules, Ethical Frameworks, Laws…..
They don’t work, decent people don’t need them. Bad people don’t follow them.
I think they do work, because they aren’t meant to stop bad behavior, but merely identify what behavior is considered bad so that action taken against those who behave badly is not capricious or from the ever changing whims of those around the misbehaving individual.
Dear Jack Panza, There is a place for everyone — or there used to be. He would have been perfect for the Institute of Modern Languages in 1969 when “resting” actors were in great demand as ESL teachers trained in a total-immersion method known as Situational Reinforcement. And a very efficient and effective method it was. No A-V equipment, though. It would have had to be a live performance. (there was a ZTP in place as far as harassment goes – enforced with as much violence as necessary by any female in the vicinity)
I eagerly await the random souls who have hopped on board to defend the teachers who fall under the NTP to rapidly rally to this man’s defense…
I am waiting, because surely there is no double standard in their minds…
In their defense, even though I agree with the NTP, actually showing the pictures yourself in class is definitely worse than having them available on the web. You might not have any control over the latter, but the former is a deliberate undermining of the student’s respect for you.
Having attended the middle school in question, and having friends who were in his classes (and a sibling currently at the school), I do NOT think Graffanino ought to be fired. Have you watched the film clip in question? There’s no sex. No nudity. Any sexual activity is implied, and certainly no worse than what these supposedly innocent and impressionable thirteen-year-olds go home to watch on television after school. Betting on NFL games with food? Oh, heaven forbid Little Johnny learns about the perils of betting because he has to make his teacher a sandwich now! I’m not saying what Graffanino did was smart, but it’s all been blown way out of proportion. He deserves to be disciplined, sure, but I’ve no idea how this made the news. The man made an error in judgement, and, from my experience at River Dell, I’m willing to bet some kiddies getting less than stellar grades decided to cry foul. It happened more than once during the six year I spent in the district. Many of the kids feel entitled, and will make big deals of anything when they feel slighted. Graffanino does not deserve to have his life ruined over this. He’s no worse than many of the teachers enjoying their tenure in the district.
I had Mr. Graffanino as a teacher about 6 or 7 years ago when I was 14-ish. Look, he definitely was a little too laid back (he was a freaking TECH teacher though), and definitely did have too many food filled parties for no reason, i don’t think he showed the clip. It’s been up on youtube since I was 15 or so, and I found it years ago on my own. Although it’s taken down now, it honestly was not nearly as bad as they are making it seem. I have a younger sibling who is currently in the district and she has friends that testified in court that he didn’t show the video. I do think he was inappropriate with students at times from what I remember, but every teacher is in one way or another; they are blowing this out of proportion. I’m not sure if you know Rich, but you’re writing this article as if you were present in some of his classes. I think the overall tone of this article was pretty disrespectful, and this is coming from a journalism college student…there should be “ethics” in writing too…I’m even in an ethics class right now. Don’t state things as facts that aren’t proven facts. Graff was a dick mostly, but you aren’t someone who has the experiences to make any statements about him. I’m not defending him in any way, but this article isn’t accurate. Thanks.
This article is WAY too extreme. I think its pretty obviously no one knows the facts. I had him as a teacher in middle school and he’s a funny nice guy. Teachers lives are analyzed by students but teachers are humans they do things wrong just like anyone. I can say with 90% certainty his intentions when showing the video clip (if he even showed it) wasn’t to show him laying in a bed (no nudity or sex) with a girl. I’m sure he wasn’t thinking anything of it because he’s human. He’s a nice guy and maybe you should interview him before you say all this horrible stuff about him. Inferring he would make up a diagnosis on a patient if he was a doctor? Because of a video clip he showed? I think you need a lot more evidence and a lot more research before you decide to write anything else about him.
This article is WAY too extreme.
No, it’s not, The conduct is inappropriate and irresponsible for any teacher.
I had him as a teacher in middle school and he’s a funny nice guy.
Irrelevant.
Teacher’s lives are analyzed by students but teachers are humans they do things wrong just like anyone.
Rationalizations. They can’t do THIS stuff, and if they do, they shouldn’t be teachers.
I can say with 90% certainty his intentions when showing the video clip (if he even showed it) wasn’t to show him laying in a bed (no nudity or sex) with a girl.
Irrelevant. His intentions don’t matter.
I’m sure he wasn’t thinking anything of it because he’s human.
He’s an irresponsible, immature and stupid human, then. Irrelevant.
He’s a nice guy
Irrelevant.
and maybe you should interview him before you say all this horrible stuff about him.
Why? Res Ipsa Loquitur.
Inferring he would make up a diagnosis on a patient if he was a doctor?
“Implying” is the word you want, and the post neither infers or implies that. You have not been well taught.
I think you need a lot more evidence and a lot more research before you decide to write anything else about him.
Nothing you have raised would suggest or indicate that.
Weak, weak comment.
@ Jack- where is my rude sarcastic filled reply to my comment? Can’t argue with it I guess. (Unless you were in fact a student of his.. However I highly doubt it). Kaboom.
Since you asked (and none of my replies to the defenders of this indefensible teacher have been sarcastic or rude):
i don’t think he showed the clip.
What do YOU know about it? There was an investigation, and official findings, which is what the post is based on.
It’s been up on youtube since I was 15 or so, and I found it years ago on my own. Although it’s taken down now, it honestly was not nearly as bad as they are making it seem.
So what? It was completely inappropriate for a teacher to show to a class. I don’t expect you to understand that—you’re not a teacher. He is, or was, or rather, was supposed to be.
I have a younger sibling who is currently in the district and she has friends that testified in court that he didn’t show the video.
The fact-finders found otherwise. I’m glad you support your younger sibling. That’s nice.
I do think he was inappropriate with students at times from what I remember, but every teacher is in one way or another;
That’s some defense you have there. It is called “everybody does it,” and it’s a rationalization. It’s also untrue. Every teacher isn’t inappropriate. I never had a single teacher who behaved that unprofessionally. Most students don’t.
I’m not sure if you know Rich, but you’re writing this article as if you were present in some of his classes.
Where to you see that? I was writing based on a factual report. You are writing based on liking your teacher.
I think the overall tone of this article was pretty disrespectful..
Of course it’s disrespectful. He’s an unprofessional teacher. What is there to respect about that?
And this is coming from a journalism college student…there should be “ethics” in writing too…I’m even in an ethics class right now. Don’t state things as facts that aren’t proven facts. Graff was a dick mostly, but you aren’t someone who has the experiences to make any statements about him. I’m not defending him in any way, but this article isn’t accurate. Thanks.
This is incoherent. No, I wasn’t in the classroom, That’s not the standard for opinion commentary. I was basing the analysis on available reports, and you have offered nothing of substance in rebuttal whatsoever.
Keep studying.
Lost another post, dammit!!