School Reform Commissioner Sylvia Simms had plenty of parents to answer to when members of the Philadelphia Student Union (PSU) said that she shouted at them, “you probably go to failing schools,” and, “you belong in jail,” at a protest of a movie screening Simms had organized to show anti-union film, "Won't Back Down." In the original video posted by PSU, the students' chanting drowned out what Simms said. She later denied that she told students they go to failing schools.

Today, the PSU released a video of the event in which Simms said, “you’re probably in failing schools,” to students, some who attend Masterman, one of the best schools in the state, which has suffered budget cuts along with all Philadelphia public schools. In the video, another adult attending the movie showing chanted, “lock them up,” but there was no evidence that Simms said students “belong in jail.”

“Sylvia Simms is supposed to be the person on the SRC who represents the parents and the students,” a PSU member said in the video. “She started yelling at us when she realized that obviously we’re chanting and we can’t hear her.”

In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Simms said that students misinterpreted her words.

"I've noticed we have a lot of failing schools,” Simms said. “It's my job to try to fix as many schools as I can."

At the SRC meeting the day after Simms’ comments, parents demanded an apology. Commissioner Bill Green eventually interrupted the shouts from the audience to defend Simms, who he said was “one of the most powerful voices for students and families.”