It is regrettable in the extreme that we live in a society where unacceptable behaviour is always someone else's fault, rather than our own. I appreciate that teaching that concept is part of what your school undertakes. Apparently that isn't entirely clear to your boss. Bess is a character written large to be sure. Her lover is outside the law. Nonetheless she teaches, as does he, about what great love means in terms of personal sacrifice -- a concept that your kids probably need to learn in spades. I remember being in tears each time I read this poem.

So sorry you got hassled. Teachers who love teaching, love what they teach and treasure how they enrich the lives of their students are among the most powerful and influential individuals in society. You may not have reached MJ, but there are others who heard the message of the poem.