Put Up Your Dukes! What to Do When a Group of 'Concerned Citizens' Wants to Ban Books

An irate parent recently stormed into our school and complained that members of a religious group were standing outside our gate, handing out copies of the New Testament to students. Our secretary made things worse by getting into a verbal battle with the parent. Can you offer any advice?

Since the group wasn't standing on school property, it probably wasn't breaking the law. However, some communities have local ordinances that prohibit “religious or any special interest groups” from distributing literature within a specified distance of school property. If your community has such an ordinance, the school should notify the local police. My bet is that the religious group knows the law, and it was walking the “straight and narrow.” Regardless, parents should be encouraged to talk to their children about whether it's appropriate to accept the books. Most schools have a parent newsletter and Web site to help get the word out. But be sure to present the information in an unbiased way. In other words, stick to the facts. I'd also encourage your school to turn this into a teachable moment by talking to students about their First Amendment rights and letting them know that they have the right to accept or reject the literature. Finally, make sure your school secretary understands that she was out of line. She should refer upset parents directly to your administrators.

One of our English teachers plans to teach A Separate Peace to a class of eighth graders, who will earn high school credit for the course. But there's a problem. A parent who read the novel when she was a high school freshman has complained that the book's language is too graphic for our eighth graders. Should I advise the teacher to change her plans?

Absolutely not! Instead, the teacher should meet with the parent and explain that the course is for bright eighth-grade students who are taking the class for high school credit. A parent-teacher conference is also a perfect time to have a good book discussion. To spark the conversation, the teacher may want to ask some of the following questions: How did you respond to A Separate Peace when you were in ninth grade? How does the story's language define its characters? Gene Forrester, the book's main character, reflects upon his coming-of-age. What does that term mean? How are Gene's emotional conflicts similar to those of most adolescents? How does dealing with these conflicts through a fictional character help adolescents with their own journeys to adulthood?

There's always a chance, of course, that the parent won't change her mind. In that case, the teacher should assure the parent that her child will be offered an alternative book. Since most parents don't want their children singled out in that way, they usually drop their objections.

During a mandatory workshop for media specialists, our superintendent told us that a group of “concerned citizens” had come to him with a long list of titles that they thought didn't belong in school libraries. He assured them that none of his media specialists would ever purchase anything controversial. The superintendent never told us what books were on the list, but his tone suggested that we'd better watch our step. His message upset and frightened many of my colleagues. Should we ask to see the list, so we can avoid those titles?

The superintendent's message obviously caught your colleagues off guard or I'm sure they would have realized that this was a good opportunity to talk about your materials selection and review policies. I'd invite the superintendent to attend the next districtwide meeting of media specialists. This time be prepared to discuss your policies, and let him know that the term “controversial” is ambiguous. Some parents feel that every work of fantasy is “evil.” Others don't want their children reading about bullies, family conflicts, death, or boy-girl relationships. Some even object to the grammar in the “Junie B. Jones” series, the underwear in the “Captain Underpants” series, and the humor in books like Harriet the Spy and Amelia Bedelia.

Don't ask to see the group's list unless you're curious. I bet it's one of those lists that's traveling across the Internet like wildfire. That's how these organized groups often work. Purging titles from library collections is an act of censorship. Don't give in to bullies. Instead, put up your dukes and fight them with knowledge, confidence, and wise policies.