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LA Unified Superintendent Ramon Cortines announced late today he is suspending all filming activities at district schools. The move comes one day after NBC Los Angeles ran a story criticizing the district’s procedures and oversight of TV and film productions shooting on campuses.
Cortines issued a a short statement that reads: “I recently asked the District’s Inspector General to examine filming activities at our schools, and that review is under way. I have also asked staff to review existing practices and, if necessary, to update the District’s procedures. As such, I have decided to temporarily suspend all commercial filming at our schools.
“It is important that we ensure teaching and learning are not disrupted, and that all filming activity is appropriate for our schools. As an organization responsible for educating students, it is essential that we hold ourselves and our schools to a high standard.”
When approached by NBC, Cortines refuted accusations that the district was ignoring filming of sexually explicit scenes with LA Unified students in close proximity, saying “You have no evidence.”
In a commentary today, LA School Report examined the NBC story and questioned its accusations. The statement from the district did not say how long the suspension would last, how long the investigation would continue or how many TV and film projects would be affected.