Parent tells Ogilvie board a classroom video from 'America, the Story of Us' upset her child: 'too gory and graphic'

During the open forum at the Ogilvie Public School District board meeting, parent Laureli Leonard described an incident in which her son was disturbed by scenes from the documentary series America, the Story of Us shown during class. Leonard told the board she contacted school staff and was sent the program guide, which included the episode in question. She said she then shared the material with other parents so families could make their own decisions about viewing.

"He said it was morbid and gave him an icky feeling," Leonard said, explaining her reason for objecting. She told the board she was not seeking to cast school staff in a negative light but wanted parents to be informed about what their children were watching and to be able to opt out when content felt too mature for younger students.

Board members acknowledged the comment and noted that providing parents with advance notice of materials can be useful. Principal Sue Davis had earlier described distribution of program guides and classroom schedules during her report and reminded the board about upcoming end‑of‑year activities and planning for next year; board members discussed the value of consistent communication when activities or displays are scheduled across grade levels.

The parent suggested the district consider notifying families similarly to neighboring districts that send notices for older‑grade video viewings. The board did not take a formal vote or change curriculum policy at the meeting; the comment was recorded in the public record and the administration was available to follow up with the parent.