Movie script by Dr. Pelham Mead

based on real life events from the 1980’s.

This movie or TV pilot is about when I was the Dean of Students for six years at Kakiat Junior High in the East Ramapo Central school district in Spring Valley, New York in the mid 1980’s. The Dean of Students is the most hated position in the school by students and the most loved by faculty. The reason is that the Dean of students is the person that suspends students that break school laws, get into fights, steal or cheat and get caught or conduct unbecoming. My approach to the job was to digitize the files and upgrade the way students were treated. I came up with Community service in lieu of In-school suspension which everyone hated including teachers that had to serve as a duty assignment. I called parents of a student and asked if they wanted their son or daughter suspended or in-school suspension or serve a few hours picking up papers during their lunch period. Most parents chose the Community service. The peer pressure from fellow students helped me to eliminate students truant, cutting classes or constantly late to class. Here is the some what humorous story from actual factual events.

EPISODE ONE- THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AT KAKIAT JUNIOR HIGH.

SCENE-1-INT. DAY- SEPTEMBER 1985.

1

2

(Opening Scene to be repeated at the beginning of each episode) Note: Pelham Mead, Dean of Students for Kakiat Junior high is a tall man with light brown hair, and a short mustache, and thin rimmed eye glasses. He is dressed in a white shirt, no tie, light brown sports jacket, and slacks. The scene opens with Mr. Mead entering his office, and trying to find a pen in his desk which is cluttered with water pistols, sling shots, knives, bullets, and one pellet gun.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (42) Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.

Note: Mr. Mead enters a small office with orange hanging folders stacked on the floor, cabinets and tables. They are everywhere making the room look like a dump.

We have to get rid of these disciplinary folders one of these days. Have you filed any of them yet? My previous secretary did not like to file folders.

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45) Good morning Mr. Mead.

Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door (Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling. Some stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path to the Dean’s office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (Looking through his desk draws) Damm it where the hell are my pens? (Opens left lower desk draw which is full of water pistols) I have enough water pistols to start a toy store.

(Opens top left desk draw) (The top draw is full of decks of cards, marbles, pea shooters and sling shots.

(MORE) 2.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Nothing but marbles and cards in this draw.

(He opens the desk middle draw and a huge 18 inch hunting knife is in the draw along with several pocket knives. Hunting knives and no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is full of more water pistols). If there were a market for used water pistols, I would be rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun) He digs through the cap guns and puts the pellet gun on top of his desk and on the bottom of the draw is one single ink pen. Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a pellet gun. I have an arsenal here.

(Mr. Mead puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in the lower right hand draw. On top of the desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING, Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is cascading into the Pending box. The Processed file is empty. Lisa how many students do we have today?

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY About fifty Mr. Mead.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Fifty? Damm. It is going to take me all day to interview fifty students. Call down twenty students during homeroom today, and ten during 3rd period, ten during 4th period lunch and ten during 5th period lunch. Make sure you do not call down any 7th graders during their 3rd period lunch period, and the same for 8th graders during 4th period, and lastly no 9th graders during 5th period lunch.

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY Yes, Mr. Mead. I will start from the bottom of the list, and call down the first 20 students during homeroom.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Thanks Lisa. I will help you file the thousands of old files that were never filed if I get time later today. (Video scans the office outside the Dean’s office where orange discipline files are stacked everywhere. 3.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) My previous secretary did not know how to file folders nor did she enjoy filing folders so we have last year’s folders as well as this year’s folders. I need to find a better process.

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (On the school PA system) Will the following students report to the Dean of Students office immediately. Gregg Gross, Mindy Epstein, Sal Vendi, Gerald Rosen, Mandy Walstein, Paul Hollerman, Jerome Washington, Lavitia Green, Mohammed Figal, Brett Wolf, Andy Rothman, Adam Preenstein,…

Five minutes later a line of students forms outside the Dean’s office and down the hall past the main office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS I am going to speed this up by dealing with the Lates to class, and cutting class by assigning them automatically to after-school detention this afternoon. (Dean Pelham Mead steps outside in the hallway and makes an announcement) The following students were either late to class more than two times or cut class are here by assigned to after-school detention. If you are on a Sports team you will not be allowed to attend practice.Gregg Gross, Mindy Epstein, Sal Vendi, Gerald Rosen, Mandy Walstein, Paul Hollerman, Jerome Washington, Lavitia Green, Mohammed Figal, Brett Wolf, Andy Rothman, Adam Preenstein.

All other students will remain here in line until I can interview them. Those of you that I called can return to class immediately. Get a pass from Mrs. Rodofsky to return to class.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Mrs. Rodofsky, send in Malcolm Jones please.

Malcolm comes into the Dean’s office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Sit down Malcom. I have a disciplinary referral from Mr. Knapp that you cursed at him in class.

Is this true Malcom? 4.

MALCOM JONES (13) STUDENT He got up in my face Mr. Mead.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Really? Did he touch or hit you?

MALCOM JONES No he threatened to call my parents for not doing any homework.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Really? Do you swear at your patents when you get mad?

MALCOM JONES No. My father would take my head off.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS I am going to call your parents now. Is your mother at home Malcom?

MALCOM JONES I think so. My father works in New York city for the Electrical Union and he does not have a cell phone. Please don’t call my mother.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Hello Mrs. Jones. This is Mr. Mead, Dean of Students at Kakiat Junior high. I have your son Malcom in my office this morning. It seems he cursed out Mr. Knapp his Science teacher yesterday.

MRS. WELINDA JONES (50) MOTHER Hello, Yes Mr. Mead. I am sorry to hear that Malcom could not keep his fat mouth shut and show his teacher some respect.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Normally we would put Malcom in the In-school Suspension room for a whole day where he will not be able to talk and homework will be sent to keep him busy all day. He will also eat his lunch in the Suspension room. We have however an alternative.

(MORE) 5.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS If you give your permission I can have Malcom do Community Service during his lunch period today picking up papers on the school grounds.

He will have to do three lunch periods of Community service instead of a whole day of In-school suspension. What would you like me to do Mrs. Jones?

Note: Mrs. Jones is a large 300 pound black woman with an Afro hair style and a moo moo dress.

MRS. WELINDA JONES Put that boy in Community Service picking up papers. Maybe it will teach him to keep his big mouth shut.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS OK, I will assign Malcom to 4th period Community Service today and two days after.

Than you for your support Mrs. Jones. Have a good day. Goodbye. OK, Malcom you heard your mother, and she approved of you serving Community Service today and two other days during your lunch period. At the beginning of 4th period lunch you will report to my office with your lunch. If you do not have lunch we will provide you with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a container of milk. You have 15 minutes to finish your lunch. After that you will be given a plastic trash bag, and a paper picker tool to pick up papers on the Soccer field and surrounding area. You are not to talk to your friends or anyone out during lunch recess. I will personally be observing you the whole period outdoors to make sure you are picking up papers the entire time. When you are done and the bell rings you are to show your bag contents to me before you dump it in the dumpster. Do you understand these instructions Malcom?

MALCOM JONES Yes, but am not happy.

I 6.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS See you at the beginning of 4th period. Do not be late or you will get an additional day of community service. Mrs. Rodofsky who is next.

FADE OUT. Later that day Mr. Mead meets the students serving Community Service that day.

FADE IN:

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) You students have 15 minutes to eat your lunch. There is to be no talking. When you are done I will give you a plastic garbage bag and a paper picker took to pick up papers and soda cans or bottles on or around the Soccer field outside. I will be watching you the whole time.

When the bell rings, you are to bring your bags back to me to inspect and then you can dump them in the dumpster at the back of the building. There is to be no talking to each other or your friends. Does everyone understand?

15 minutes later.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) OK, here are your garbage bags and paper picker tool. Put on your coats and let’s go outside.

On the field Dean Mead is standing on the Soccer field holding a cup of coffee watching the students picking up papers. It is windy and his hair is blowing in the wind and it is cold and even with his heavy coat it is noticeable how cold he is. His face begins to become rosy red from the cold. He begins spitting on the ground.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Brrrrr, it is as cold as hell out here. Thank God for this coffee.

When the bell rings all the students turn in their bag of trash and Mr. Mead inspects them and then tells them to take the bags to the dumpster.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Take the bags to the dumpster and throw them in. See you tomorrow, same time, same place. 7.

MALCOM JONES Man that sucked. I am sorry I cursed at Mr. Knapp because this is torture.

Mr. Mead comes back into his office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Boy it was cold outside. Lisa have the remainder of the students I have to interview report to my office now.

FADE OUT.

At the end of the Day, Mr. Mead puts on his coat and exits the school by the side door.

FADE IN:

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Holy crap! Someone broke my car windshield.

This is the third time this has happened. I am going to have to park my car out in the faculty parking lot to keep it away from any students.

Damm, now I will have to drive home sitting in a pile of broken glass.

Mr. Mead is seen sitting in a pile of glass peering through a broken windshield, squinting his eyes to see.

FADE TO BLACK.

3

ACT TWO- BULLETS IN SCHOOL.

SCENE 1-INT. DAY- OCTOBER 1985.

3

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (42) Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45) Good morning Mr. Mead.

Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door (Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling. Some stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path to the Dean’s office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (Looking through his desk draws) Damm it where the hell are my pens?

(MORE) 8.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (Opens left lower desk draw which is full of water pistols) I have enough water pistols to start a toy store. (Opens top left desk draw) (The top draw is full of decks of cards, marbles, pea shooters and sling shots. Nothing but marbles and cards in this draw. (He opens the desk middle draw and a huge 18 inch hunting knife is in the draw along with several pocket knives. Hunting knives and no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is full of more water pistols). If there were a market for used water pistols, I would be rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun) He digs through the cap guns and puts the pellet gun on top of his desk and on the bottom of the draw is one single ink pen.

Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a pellet gun. I have an arsenal here. (Mr. Mead puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in the lower right hand draw. On top of the desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING, Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is cascading into the Pending box. The Processed file is empty. Lisa how many students do we have today?

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY Less than most days. We have around 25 students. The fear of serving Community Service in front of their peers is making a lot of students think twice before cutting a class.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Bengee Magal do you know why you are here today?

BENGEE MAGAL (12) STUDENT

No, sir.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Do you want to empty your pockets Bengee?

BENGEE MAGAL, STUDENT What for Mr. Mead? 9.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Your teacher Mr. Ross has reported to me that you were playing with live bullets in class. Is that true?

BENGEE MAGAL, STUDENT I found them at the bus stop.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Do you realize how dangerous it could be to you and your fellow students and teacher if one of those bullets exploded in your hand or pocket?

BENGEE MAGAL, STUDENT I only have 8 bullets. Here they are (dumpling the bullets on Dean Mead’s desk).

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (Picking up the bullets and examining them) These look like 22 long bullets Bangee. Where did you get these bullets?

BENGEE MAGAL, STUDENT They were lying on the ground at the bus stop, and I picked them up and put them in my pocket.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Really? Mrs. Rodofsky, Bangee and I are going to take a little ride in my car. We will be back soon. Come on Bangee we are going for a ride in my car.

BENGEE MAGAL, STUDENT Where are we going?

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS We are going to your bus stop to see if we can find anymore bullets on the ground.

Half way across the parking lot Bangee makes an admission of guilt.

BENGEE MAGAL Mr. Mead, stop. We don’t need to drive to the bus stop. I lied. I stole the bullets from a coffee can in my neighbors garage.

(MORE) 10.

BENGEE MAGAL (CONT’D) I saw the bullets in the coffee can one day and I stole them from our neighbor. I brought them to school to show to my friends. I didn’t mean any harm. Honest.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Well then let’s go back to my office.

When they get back to Mr. Mead’s office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Bengee bringing bullets or guns to school is a serious offense. We have a zero tolerance policy in this school district and you could be expelled from school by the Superintendent of Schools and put on home tutoring or sent to another school district in Rockland county that will take you.

BENGEE MAGAL, STUDENT (Begins to cry) Please Mr. Mead, do not call my parents. They will kill me.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS The law requires me to contact your parents and inform the Principal of your misconduct. It is out of my hands what the Principal wants to do with you. This is your first offense, so that will help your case, but your parents will have to come into the school, and meet with the Principal, Mr. Pollak and myself and we will take it from their. Let me call your parents first.

Hello Mrs. Magal? This is Mr. Mead, Dean of Students at Kakiat Junior High. I am calling you today because I have your son Bengee in my office. He seems to have stolen some 22 calibre bullets from your next door neighbors garage where they were in a coffee can. He brought the bullets to school and showed them to his friends in class. The teacher reported him to my office and I interviewed Bengee and determined that he was lying about finding the bullets on the ground at his bus stop. Can you and your husband come in today and meet with Principal Gerald Pollak and myself to discuss Bengee’s situation.

(MORE) 11.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS He may be suspended from school because we have a zero tolerance rule for guns and ammunition.

MRS. MAGAL, (48) MOTHER I am shocked to hear my son stole bullets and brought them to school. I will call my husband, and we will be able to come to Kakiat Junior high this afternoon at 2:00 o’clock.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Good, I will confirm this with Principal Pollak for meeting with him at 2:00 today. Thank you for your cooperation Mrs. Magal.

Later that day at 2:00.

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY Mr. Mead, Mr. And Mrs.Magal Are here waiting for you.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Put them in the conference room and call down Bengee, while I get Mr. Pollak to sit in on this meeting.

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY Will do. Mr. And Mrs. Magal would you like a cup of water or anything? Please sit in the conference room until we can get your son Bengee down here and Mr. Pollak as soon as he is available.

Minutes later.

BENGEE MAGAL Hi Mom and Dad.

MR. MADAL Sit down Bengee. We are not happy.

BENGEE MAGAL

Sorry.

Note: Mr. Pollak is a bald, Jewish men with pale white skin, and no facial hair. He is a little over-weight and wears thin rimmed reading glasses.

Mr. Pollak and Mr. Mead enter the conference room. 12.

GERALD POLLAK, PRINCIPAL OF KAKIAT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Sorry for the delay Mr. And Mrs. Magal. I was on the phone with the District lawyer and the Superintendent of Schools regarding the legality of bring live ammunition into school. As you may know we have a zero tolerance policy regarding guns and bullets brought to school. If Bengee was 16 it would be a felony violation and he would have to be arrested. I have spoken to the Dean of Students, Mr. Mead and since this is Bengee’s first offense we are not going to suspend him from school for a week or sent him to another school district. With your permission he will participate in picking up papers during his lunch period for one month in our Community Service program supervised by Dean Pelham Mead. If he has any other discipline problems in the next school year I will have to recommend that he be removed from school and sent to another school in the district. Do you understand your rights Mr. And Mrs. Magel?

MRS. MAGAL, MOTHER I am so embarrassed for Bengee’s behavior. This is not the way we brought him up. I don’t know what I am going to tell our neighbors? We will prefer to have Bengee serve community service then be suspended from school.

GERALD POLLAK, PRINCIPAL OF KAKIAT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL OK, Mr. Mead will give you the form to sign giving your permission to have Bengee serve Community Service for one month. You must provide a bag lunch for him since he will not be permitted to buy hot lunch for one month.

MR. MAGAL, FATHER Thank you Principal Pollak and Dean Mead. I have to get back to work. Bengee we will talk with you tonight. Good bye. 13.

GERALD POLLAK, PRINCIPAL OF KAKIAT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL Pel just a quick moment. Be careful with this community service thing so that it doesn’t blow up in your face.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS I am always careful Mr. Pollak.

FADE OUT.

4

5

ACT THREE- EXT.-WINDSHIELD PROBLEMS

4

SCENE 1-EXT. DAY- OCTOBER 1985. 5 Mr. Mead arrives for school at 8:00 a.m. In his Volkswagen hatchback car with no windshield. He had a ski hat on and a scarf, and ski jacket on, and gloves. His face looks white and frozen from the cold air coming through the open windshield.

FADE IN:

RICK KNAPP, (25) SCIENCE TEACHER Hey Pel where is your windshield? You look like you are frozen. What happened?

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS One of our students who was unhappy with me for some reason broke my windshield with a rock. I had to drive home in a pile of broken glass. I don’t have time to get another windshield until this weekend. It was kind of like driving a snowmobile.

RICK KNAPP, You certain are funny looking. (Laughing) You better get snow goggles too.

They both walk into the school from the faculty parking lot.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Are you sure you wouldn’t like to serve as the Dean of Students?

RICK KNAPP, No way, not me. I am a Union Rep, and not an administrator. Good luck with that job. See you later. 14.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (42) Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45) Good morning Mr. Mead. Did I see you driving to school with a car with no windshield this morning?

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Yes, One of our students broke my windshield yesterday. I was unable to get another windshield so I had to drive to school without a windshield. Tomorrow I will take my motorcycle to work until I can get my car windshield replaced.

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY I am sorry to hear that Mr. Mead.

Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door (Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling. Some stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path to the Dean’s office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (Looking through his desk draws) Damm it where the hell are my pens? (Opens left lower desk draw which is full of water pistols) I have enough water pistols to start a toy store.

(Opens top left desk draw) (The top draw is full of decks of cards, marbles, pea shooters and sling shots. Nothing but marbles and cards in this draw. (He opens the desk middle draw and a huge 18 inch hunting knife is in the draw along with several pocket knives. Hunting knives and no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is full of more water pistols). If there were a market for used water pistols, I would be rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun) He digs through the cap guns and puts the pellet gun on top of his desk and on the bottom of the draw is one single ink pen. Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a pellet gun. I have an arsenal here. (Mr.

(MORE) 15.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Mead puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in the lower right hand draw. On top of the desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING, Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is cascading into the Pending box. The Processed file is empty. Lisa how are we doing on filing the discipline folders? I am planning on using my Apple Pet computer and create a data base of all students that are disciplined on Appleworks. I will install the program on your computer for you and show you how to access the data base. I am going to use only 10 keywords. That will make sorting by different infractions easier. I can print out the whole week each Friday and give Mr. Pollak a copy for his files.

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY Sounds good to me. It is going to take forever to file all these discipline folders. Many of last years 9th graders have already gone up to the high school. I have to keep them separate to send up to the high schools to help them update their files. They haven’t used computers yet in storing their files. We are way ahead of them in technology.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Great. How many students do I have to interview today?

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY About 25 students. The late to class and class cutters have gone down because they do not want to pick up papers in front of their friends.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Good that means my new approach is working.

The in-school suspension room is mostly empty now. I moved those students into Community Service to give the teachers a break having to give up a prep period to sit in the In-school suspension room for a whole period.

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY First up is Lashonda Williams. 16.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Come right in Lashonda. Have a seat. You were recommended to me for fighting with another girl during lunch time. What is your side of the story?

LASHONDA WILLIAMS (14) STUDENT Well Mr. Mead, Tereshia Jones tried to take my boyfriend Jamal away from me so I had to teach the bitch a lesson. I asked her if she was messing with my boyfriend Billy Danders and she gave me the evil eye.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS What does this evil eye think mean? Fighting in school is not permitted. If you have a problem you go to your guidance counselor and tell them about it, not starting a fist fight on the Soccer field. Normally, we suspend students who fight in school, but I am going to give you a break and ask your parents to allow you to serve in Community service..

LASHONDA WILLIAMS What is Community Service Mr. Mead?

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Instead of being suspended from school and missing a full week of classes you get to pick up papers during your lunch period for one week. That way you don’t miss any of your classes and schoolwork.

LASHONDA WILLIAMS Picking up papers. Hell No!

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS If you refuse, then I will be forced to suspend you for one to two weeks out of school. You will fall behind in your work and probably fail the semester. In addition the suspension will go on your permanent record for future colleges or Employers to see if they want to accept you.

The next time you get in trouble you may be expelled permanently and have to go to night school to get a diploma. So what will it be Lashonda. 17.

LASHONDA WILLIAMS When you put it that way, I will pick up papers instead.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Good, meet me in front of my office tomorrow at the beginning of 4th period. This is all pending on a phone call to your parents for their permission for your to serve community service.

FADE OUT. Later that day Mr. Mead goes outdoors third period, fourth period and fifth period to supervised community service. The day was especially windy and cold. Mr. Mead had a cup of coffee and his ski jacket on with the hood over his head to protect him from the wind. He looked like a frozen corpse. Each period he goes out he gets whiter and whiter with red eyes from the cold.

FADE IN:

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Time to go out for community service. If anyone has an emergency just call me on the walkie talkie and I will come running. Now it is time to freeze to death on the Soccer field.

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY Stay warm Mr. Mead.

At the end of the day Mr. Mead walks out to the empty faculty parking lot where his VW hatchback is parked with no windshield. He puts on his ski hat, gloves and scarf around his ski jacket and drives off with the cold wind in his face.

FADE TO BLACK.

6

7

ACT FIVE- TROUBLE IN THE EH CLASSROOM.

SCENE 1-INT. DAY- OCTOBER 1985.

6

7

FADE IN:

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (42) Good morning Mrs. Rodofsky.

MRS. LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY (45) Good morning Mr. Mead.

Mr. Mead enters his office. Five seconds of video show his title on the door 18.

(Pelham Mead, Dean of Students). As the camera scans across the outer room piles of orange files are stacked almost as high as the ceiling. Some stacks are on the floor. There is almost no room to walk except a path to the Dean’s office.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (Looking through his desk draws) Damm it where the hell are my pens? (Opens left lower desk draw which is full of water pistols) I have enough water pistols to start a toy store.

(Opens top left desk draw) (The top draw is full of decks of cards, marbles, pea shooters and sling shots. Nothing but marbles and cards in this draw. (He opens the desk middle draw and a huge 18 inch hunting knife is in the draw along with several pocket knives. Hunting knives and no pens.(Opens Right top draw which is full of more water pistols). If there were a market for used water pistols, I would be rich.(Opens The right lower desk draw, and the draw is full of cap guns and a pellet gun) He digs through the cap guns and puts the pellet gun on top of his desk and on the bottom of the draw is one single ink pen. Finally, a pen in a field of cap guns and a pellet gun. I have an arsenal here. (Mr. Mead puts all the cap guns and pellet gun back in the lower right hand draw. On top of the desk is three trays marked IN, PENDING, Processed. The IN file is stacked so high it is cascading into the Pending box. The Processed file is empty. Lisa how many students do we have today?

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY About ten, Mr. Mead. The numbers are going down finally. Oh, you have a call on the intercom. Miss Gravely say she has an emergency. One of her male students named Mohammed Moosher is freaking out and threatening to hurt everyone in the class. She wants you and security to rush to her room.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Tell her I am on the way. Call the security guards and tell them to meet me at the EH class on the first floor.

Pelham Mead jogs down to the EH class. Upon his arrival he opens the door and 19.

sees furniture and tables and chairs upside down all over the classroom. All the students are pinned against the wall including the teacher in fear of the student at the far end of the room who was cursing and threatening everyone in the room with his black umbrella.

MARILYN BROCK (30) EH TEACHER Mr. Mead I am so glad you responded so quickly. As you can see we have a situation here with Mohammed. Mohammed had an argument with one of the students and a fight broke out with chairs being thrown and Mohammed threatening the entire class with an umbrella. Can you help us?

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Mohammed, I am the Dean of students. You need to calm down. What is the problem? You also need to stop threatening everyone with that umbrella. Are you alright Miss Brock?

Mohammed is an average size black student with short cut hair and no facial hairs. He is a very muscular student being a year older that the rest of the students. He has a very base voice and stutters a little when talking.

MOHAMMED MOOSHER, (15) STUDENT Fuck you Mr. Med or whatever your name is. I asked Miss Brock if I could take a few days off from school to make some money working, and she said No. Then Julian, the fat slob started laughing at me and we had a fight.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS If you take off from school you can be arrested by the District truancy officer, and be in a lot of trouble. Come on Mohammed let’s go out in the hallway and talk this over.

MOHAMMED MOOSHER, Fuck you. am not going anywhere.

I

SECURITY GUARD DAN HEALY, (60) Do you need help Mr. Mead?

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS No Dan, I got this under control. Stay around just in case. Mohammed if you don’t come out, I am going to have to drag you out in the hallway. 20.

MOHAMMED MOOSHER, Fuck you asshole. Try and take this umbrella away from me.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS This is your last chance Mohammed. I am coming in, and I am going to take your umbrella away, and drag you by your neck out into the hallway for the rest of the school to see.

MOHAMMED MOOSHER, (Mohammed raised the umbrella high in the air as Mr. Mead charged him) You can’t have my umbrella.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Give me the umbrella or I am going to wrap it around your throat.

Note: Mr. Mead was a Wrestling champion in High school and college and he kept himself in the best physical condition possible at 160 pounds over Mohammed who weighed around 120 pounds.

Mr. Mead grabbed the umbrella and Mohammed behind the neck, and dragged him out into the hallway. There Mohammed tried to punch Mr. Mead, and he blocked the punch, and judo flipped Mohammed to the floor. Suddenly, all the classroom doors opened and the teachers stuck their heads out to see what was going on. They were amazed to see the Dean of Students wrestling with an EH student. It was the event of the month for the teachers when they gossiped about what happened in the teacher cafeteria everyday.

Later, Mr. Mead got Mohammed in a head lock, and dragged him down to the Dean’s office. Dan the Security officer helped by bringing the umbrella along.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS (CONT’D) Lisa inform Mr. Pollak that I have a violent student I want arrested by the Rampo Police department. I will press charges of assaulting a teacher and administrator in addition to threatening the other students in the class with bodily harm. I am going to lock him in the conference room until the police get here.

LISA RODOFSKY, SECRETARY I am calling Mr. Pollak on the intercom right now and the Ramapo Police department. 21.

PELHAM MEAD, DEAN OF STUDENTS Thank you. Now I have to catch my breath. I haven’t wrestled since College.

FADE OUT.