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FROM THE FRONT LINE: Censorship Calls Down; "Prior Censorship" Emerges
Charles Suhor, NCTE/SLATE Field Representative
I'm pleased to report that censorship cases are down. Thirty-three reports came to NCTE between February and July, compared to 44 during the comparable period last year. For the full 2002-03 school session, the count was down to 90 from the previous 108. On the negative side, the percentage of banned books was high, at 14% for the session.
As usual, reasons for the fluctuations are not obvious. One could speculate, though, that the smaller number of challenges is related to concern with the war in Iraq, which occupied the minds of those who might normally attend to objectionable contents of literary works.
More noteworthy, perhaps, is the fact that this year we saw several alarming instances of what can be called "prior censorship"—a strategy that enforces censorship in advance by building it into the selection process. Essentially, a watchdog group or individual reviews teachers' selections and prevents books deemed undesirable from getting into the program. I reported on this briefly in the September Council Chronicle. Seven cases are described in more detail below.
All who contact NCTE receive prompt e-mail, telephone, or fax, responses, followed by other action when requested. Our CENSORSHIP PACKET is sent to all callers who haven't visited the Anti-Censorship website. Listed alphabetically after the "prior censorship" report below are some of the cases that deal with challenges to particular works. Actions taken are italicized. "Rationale(s) sent. . ." indicates that NCTE sent the teachers one or more rationales for the protested work. Letters of support are offered in all cases; they typically go to the review committee, school board president, or superintendent. OUTCOMES (when known at press time) are capitalized.
Overwhelmingly, schools and districts that call NCTE have two policies or practices in place: provisions for a substitute work when a student or parent objects and an established process for orderly review of challenges that arise. Increasingly, schools also have in place formal or informal procedures through which English language arts teachers collegially select works to be studied.
If you are experiencing a challenge to materials or methods, or if you know someone who is, call either 800-369-6283, extension 3848, or 334-280-4758; or visit http://www.ncte.org/about/issues/censorship?source=gs and click on the "Report a Censorship Incident" option.
For regular reports on K-12 censorship cases and other intellectual freedom issues, join SLATE by sending $15 to SLATE at NCTE, 1111 W. Kenyon Road, Urbana, IL 61801-1096.
PRIOR CENSORSHIP—SEVEN CASES
I hesitate to call the cases below a trend. As you'll see, the designs for subverting teachers' selections of literary works vary widely, suggesting no concerted effort. It appears that boards of education still typically delegate to teachers the selection of books for classroom instruction, reading lists, etc. For more information on Prior Censorship, see article in September issue of The Council Chronicle.
Although the approaches in the prior censorship cases differ, commonalties exist. There is a basic attitude of mistrust and a structure that permits reversing teachers' choices in the absence of specific challenges from the community (this despite the fact that in most of the districts below, good policies for review of parental challenges are in place to ensure that authentic protests, if they arose, would get an orderly hearing). The net effect of intrusive "advance reviews"—if that's not an oxymoron—is to create problems where none exist.
1. In a still unresolved California case, the administration proposed a new policy for selecting readings in high schools. Vague and oppressive in too many ways to enumerate, it included a requirement that books not on the California list of recommended readings—a list that does not call for limiting teachers to the works on it—must go through a process in which teachers identify "portions of the book that might draw criticism." A preview group known as the Instructional Services Committee (members not specified) would then approve or disapprove the work for classroom use.
2. In a Pennsylvania district, protests of Frank McCourt's ANGELA'S ASHES, Michael Ondaatje's THE ENGLISH PATIENT and Haruki Murakami's NORWEGIAN WOOD ended in the banning of the Murakami book. Worse, the protest resulted in a new policy that inserted a watchdog group to preview works chosen by teachers. The English department chair is the sole teacher on the top-heavy committee, which includes the high school principal and assistant principal, assistant superintendent, and curriculum director. NCTE's letter of concern was helpful in retaining the McCourt and Ondaatje books, but the preview committee was not abandoned. It has backed off, though, recently approving Murakami's A WILD SHEEP CHASE and Richard Kim's LOST NAMES.
3. Also in Pennsylvania, a social studies controversy escalated into prior censorship of literary works. No parental protest of books had occurred, according to a local reporter (see http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/print_124695.html), but a subcommittee of the nervous school board swung into action. They first jettisoned E. L. Doctorow's RAGTIME then set out to examine a re-submitted array of books in English classes. Attempts to contact the English department chair received no response.
4. A subcommittee of the school board also undertook front-end book banning in a Wisconsin district. The group conducted a preview of the English offerings, two members stating the explicit goal of preventing objectionable books from entering the program. They rejected J.D. Salinger's CATCHER IN THE RYE and Tim O'Brien's THE THINGS THEY CARRIED for use in grade 12. A reporter told me of the case after being stonewalled by the administration. I managed to reach a teacher, who referred me to the superintendent in a trembling, mechanical cadence. The superintendent claimed that the advance review action wasn't censorship, as the teachers had "voluntarily withdrawn" the books after hearing the board's comments. In a letter to the board I urged reconsideration of both the censored material and the morale-busting preview process. I expected –and received—no answer from district misleaders so clearly bent on book-banning and intimidation.
5. After a group of parents protested Lois Lowry's THE GIVER, Cherie Bennett's LIFE IN THE FAT LANE, and other works at an Alabama middle school, the principal suggested that a "forum" be organized whereby the parents sit in judgment on proposed books. After protests by the faculty, the principal backed down. Bullet dodged. But the Bennett novel was subsequently banned in a regular review procedure, the librarian resigned, and the parents are threatening court action, leaving a tense situation that NCTE will continue to track.
6. A sadly classic example of administration via smoke and mirrors was seen in a Florida middle school case about the continued teaching of Jane Yolen's THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC. The principal apparently improvised a claim that teachers could not use books that aren't in the district's professional development center. The teacher sought help and clarification in vain from her union representative, English coordinator, and superintendent. After months of silence, the superintendent told her that an unspecified review committee had approved the book—but that she must nevertheless submit a request to her principal, who could effectively pre-censor it in another round of frustration. Fed up, the teacher did not pursue the matter further.
7. In a widely publicized, year-long case at Brooklyn Technical High School, grade 11 teacher Todd Friedman assigned Russell Banks' CONTINENTAL DRIFT to a student as makeup work. Astonishingly, the New York City public school district has no policy for review of challenged materials. The parent's protest and other issues led to a letter of reprimand that was contested with support from ACLU, NCAC, NCTE, and PEN American Center. Although the letter was removed after lengthy hearings, the status of the book is uncertain. Some key points: the English Department Chair is also the Assistant Principal and part of the management team in the unusual NYC administrative hierarchy. And under a strictly building-based policy, she was empowered by principal Lee McCaskill to act as prior censor of Friedman's selections. Ostensibly a collaborative colleague, she functioned as gatekeeper and remains in conflict on various issues in a convoluted, unhealthy situation. Friedman has transferred to another school.
SOME RECENT CASES (alphabetically)
BRAVE NEW WORLD Aldous Huxley (grade 10, TX) sexual content, suicide. Rationale and letter of support sent. RETAINED.
CATCHER IN THE RYE J. D. Salinger (grade 9, IL) profanity. Rationale sent. RETAINED.
COLD MOUNTAIN Charles Frazier, THE COLOR PURPLE Alice Walker, THE HANDMAID'S TALE Margaret Atwood, HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS Isabel Allende, and SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS David Guterson (grades 10-12, CA) numerous objections. Rationales sent for all but the Frazier novel (not available); letter of support sent. Frazier novel MOVED from grade 10 to 11; all others RETAINED.
Addendum: The board will revisit these items later—i.e. after the November election, which will be crucial for censorship issues in the district.
THE CRUCIBLE Arthur Miller (grade 11, college preparatory, MO) witchcraft, criticism of clergy. Rationale and letter of support sent. RETAINED.
THE CRUSADER Edward Bloor, LUCKY Alice Sebold, and STUCK IN NEUTRAL Terry Trueman (grades 7-9 reading list, IA) various objections. Rationale for Trueman book sent; others not available. RETAINED.
FALLEN ANGELS Walter Dean Myers (grade 11, college preparatory, MO) profanity. Rationale sent. BANNED.
FALLEN ANGELS Walter Dean Myers, OF MICE AND MEN John Steinbeck, and THE THINGS THEY CARRIED Tim O'Brien (grades 10-11, accelerated, MS) various objections. Conferral with teacher on post-banning action. BANNED before NCTE was informed about the case.
Addendum: A student's grandmother had seen profanity in a book and called a board member who goes to the same church. A board described as "clueless" by the teacher voted to ban the books without going through their own policy for committee review. After considerable protest, the board declined to reconsider the ban but agreed to follow the policy in future challenges.
HOW THE GARCIA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS Julia Alvarez—two cases— (grades 11, 12 honors programs, AZ) profanity, sexual content. Rationale not available. RETAINED. Second case: (grade 9 honors program, TX) sexual content, abduction. Rationale not available; letter of support sent. RETAINED.
Addendum: The Arizona teacher writes that the failed challenge seems to have been urged on the website of a group called PABBIS. (See NUMEROUS BOOKS entry below.) The prospect of a district-wide "approved booklist" now looms, with no information on how it will be prepared. She adds, "I do not think I will be returning to this district to teach. There are just too many administrative issues I can no longer deal with; the way this issue was handled is just the tip of the iceberg."
NO EASY ANSWERS ed. Don Gallo (grade 8, NJ) profanity, sexual content. Rationale not available; two letters of support sent. RETAINED.
NUMErOUS BOOKS (K-12 schools, Fairfax County, VA) varied complaints, 24 books. Conferral with local Right to Read Coalition. RETAINED.
Addendum: The newly formed Right to Read Coalition in Fairfax, led by Destiny Burns, mobilized skillfully to meet this broadside challenge from two local parents who had founded PABBIS (Parents Against Bad Books in Schools). The board also passed a policy for review of challenged materials by a 9-3 margin, another sign of the coalition's success.
OF MICE AND MEN John Steinbeck—two cases—(grade 7 honors, CA) profanity, N-word, sexual content. Rationale sent. MOVED to grade 9; Second case: (high school, OH) profanity. Rationale sent. RETAINED.
Addendum: Usually the removal of a book from a particular grade level is de facto censorship because teachers at the higher level aren't interested in using it. In the California case, though, teachers in grades 9 and 11 wanted the Steinbeck novelette, so the protest could have been avoided by an earlier internal decision among peers. Also, poor judgment was exercised by the grade 7 teacher, who read the book aloud to the class, needlessly generating the shock effect of the profanities, racial epithets, and God-language.
THE VAMPIRE ALMANAC R. C. Welch (grades 5-6, Canada) religious objections to the occult, vampires, etc. Rationale not available; model of review process sent. RETAINED.
VIDEOS (middle and high schools, OH district) Board limits videos to PG only. Letter of concern sent. OUTCOME UNKNOWN.
Addendum: In this interestingly offbeat case, a high school student wrote to complain that the blanket ruling wrongly limits students age 14 and over from seeing educationally relevant videos that are in the PG-13 and other categories. In a letter to the superintendent and board, I made NCTE's case for not using the motion picture industry categories because they are made with no concern for the educational uses and merit of a given movie. No response was received.
WHALE TALK Chris Crutcher (grade 10, OH) profanity. Rationale not available. RETAINED.
WHAT KIND OF LOVE? Sheila Cole (grade 6-12 library, IA) teen pregnancy Rationale not available; letter of support sent. RESTRICTED to students who bring parental permission notes.
Addendum: Library cases are referred to Beverley Becker at the American Library Association (), but when a special plea for additional support from NCTE is made, a letter is sent. The librarian was optimistic, despite the loss, because the matter became controversial at "a large public meeting where opinions were heard from both sides... . Hopefully, this one book's restriction and public outcry will prevent more book issues."
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