Republic school district bans 2 books

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

REPUBLIC, Mo. (AP) — Two books have been banned from the libraries and curriculum at Republic High School after a parent complained that their content taught principles contrary to the Bible.

The district’s school board voted Monday to remove Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” and Sarah Ockler’s “Twenty Boy Summer,” but to allow Laurie Halse Anderson’s “Speak” to be used in the district’s high school, The Springfield News-Leader reported.

Superintendent Vern Minor said the board based its decision on the whether the books were age-appropriate.

“We very clearly stayed out of discussion about moral issues,” Minor said. “Our discussions from the get-go were age-appropriateness.”

Wesley Scroggins of Republic, who had challenged the books and lesson plans last year, said he was mostly pleased with the decision.

“I congratulate them for doing what’s right and removing the two books,” said Scroggins. “It’s unfortunate they chose to keep the other book.”

It took a year to reach a decision because the complaint prompted the 4,500-student district to form a task force to develop book standards for all its schools, Minor said. The panel considered existing policies and public rating systems that already exist for music, TV and video games before adopting new standards in April. Those standards were applied to the three books, Minor said.

Several people read the books and provided feedback.

“It was really good for us to have this discussion,” Minor said. “Most schools stay away from this and they get on this rampage, the whole book-banning thing, and that’s not the issue here. We’re looking at it from a curriculum point of view.”

Minor said most people supported keeping “Speak,” which is taught in English I and II courses, because although it had one short description of a rape, it had a strong message at the end.

But he said those who read “Twenty Boy Summer,” available in the library, thought it sensationalized sexual promiscuity and included questionable language, drunkenness, lying to parents and a lack of remorse. And he said “Slaughterhouse Five” contained crude language and adult themes that are more appropriate for college-age students.

Minor said students will be allowed to use those two books for extra class material if they have their parents’ permission.

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Information from: Springfield News-Leader, http://www.news-leader.com

More like this story

Gabrielle 1 year, 10 months ago

....and the beat goes on........

John 1 year, 10 months ago

I suppose it gets down to what "banned" means. IF it means that students are not to use the books for book reports, reading lists. and the like, then I suppose it is okay. Because I really do believe there is such a thing as age-appropriate. However, if the students are not allowed to use them in research or in research papers, then I would suggest these folks who employ the principal do some soul-searching. Vonnegut did more to awaken people to conditions in the cities than any other 2 writers. Banning, book burning, and censoring is a slippery slope. I thought this country was built upon the idea that we not do such a thing.

asb 1 year, 10 months ago

It's a libray and curriculum decision, it's local and it's not really a ban. I know nothing of 20 Boy Summer or Speak, but I know that if a person reads Slaughterhouse Five carefully, it presents to the human mind about as powerful and horrible a collection of images and concepts of the insanity and brutality of large scale modern war as can be written. It is one of the past century's greatest works. Personally I think that if a 16 year old cannot bear the force of Vonnegut they are disadvantaged and poorly educated, and not ready for the real world. But that's Republic's choice. That is an extremely conservative area, even though increasingly a suburb of Springfield rather than the enclave of Christian fundamentalism the decision projects.

evenkeel 1 year, 10 months ago

asb, Everything you say here I agree with but most particularly "if a 16 year old ..... not ready for the real world." Yes. I was not ready for the real world at 16 years old and I have not observed many 16 year olds that are. 16 year olds are kids.

evenkeel 1 year, 10 months ago

hkchas, What is a shame? Is it a shame that a local school board made some decisions about age appropriateness of books in their library?

tonto 1 year, 10 months ago

asb, if two books are removed from the school library and curriculum, that is a ban. That's the definition. It's what the word means. It's censorship. That "age appropriate" comment is just the latest ruse. The last scam on censorship before "age appropriate" was "budget priorities" and that happened right here in Jefferson City when someone wanted books they didn't like taken out of the library.

Kids need to understand that there are ideas and words out there in the real world, and that those ideas and words can be really powerful. We fail them when we try to "protect" them from things we might not like.

asb 1 year, 10 months ago

If I wanted to donate the book and build an annex to hold it, and they still said no to it, many would fairly call it a ban, just not me.

asb 1 year, 10 months ago

I agree that "age appropriate" is a code phrase for "you can't read or use it here kids" then you could call it a ban in the common use of the term. But since the kids do have other access, and can write about the books in certain aspects, I'd rather give the local board the benefit of a doubt. Don't think for a second I approve of their decision, but I think its theirs to make.

tonto 1 year, 10 months ago

Graceful, you still do not get to make up word definitions to suit yourself. We have dictionaries for that kind of thing.

The Republic school district has banned those books to the extent of their authority. Hypothetically, someone could get that book at the branch library, or go into a book store in Springfield and buy it, and take it back to school. Maybe they would smuggle it into the building in a backpack. Then the ban would have been challenged and the school board would face a completely different situation.

tonto 1 year, 10 months ago

asb, I agree, and I think it is really pathetic that people can be so afraid of ideas.

I agree that the school board went about this in the right way - but only to the extent that they continue to apply an "age appropriate" standard for all the books in their school library. I am pretty certain they will not want to continue that big job after the local bible-thumper goes away. At that point they will be revealed as the cowards and hypocrites they are.

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