Showing an Internet video with offensive language and a one-sided political commentary to an eighth grade science class was wrong.

Students are barred from viewing videos like the one at filmstripinternational.com and would be punished if they either accessed it at school or repeated any of the offensive words used in it.

West Limestone High School teacher Steve White, who allegedly showed the Bush-bashing video to his science class, should be held to the same standards. White is a Democratic candidate for the District 4 seat for the state House of Representatives.

We don’t know what, if any, punishment White received.

West Limestone Principal Stan Davis did not return two calls we made to the school Thursday. Limestone County Schools Superintendent Dr. Barry Carroll, who called Friday from out of town, said he did not speak directly with White about the incident, but Davis did.

In an e-mail forwarded from the central office, we received a copy of Carroll’s two-sentence statement Friday: “The matter at West Limestone is a personnel issue and has been dealt with. There are no additional comments.”

By state law, personnel matters concerning school faculty, administrators and staff may be handled internally and kept confidential if they concern “the good name and character” of the person involved.

However, in a public school board meeting in December, Carroll recommended the board fire a bus driver who allegedly said the phrase “p—-ed off” and the d-word to students on the bus. The board voted not to terminate the driver.

We want to know how a teacher playing a song with the word “a—hole” seen and sung 20 times and the s-word once to a science class of eighth grade students differs from the bus driver’s uttered phrases.

Now that the matter and the name of the person involved have been made public, there is no reason not to disclose what happened in that classroom and how it was handled.

According to three school board members, the matter was not brought before the school board.

Among parents whose children attend West Limestone School who were interviewed but who did not want to be quoted in Friday’s story and those readers who have e-mailed The News Courier, the prevailing concern is that officials have not stated publicly what punishment White received for showing the video. They feel they have a right to know.

So do we.