FROM THE FRONT LINE: Current: Good News on Books Retained; Overview: Six-Year Tally of Censorship Calls
Charles Suhor, NCTE/SLATE Field Representative

Since my April SLATE Newsletter report on censorship cases, approximately 44 calls have come in--about the same as the comparable time period last year. After the disappointment of an increased percentage of BANNED books in April, I'm pleased to report that the current outcomes are largely positive. All books except one were RETAINED--although in two cases, teachers who were weary of the battle SELF-CENSORED, reporting that they won't teach the protested books next year.

NCTE has kept an informal count of calls for six years. A look at the numbers beginning in the 1996-97 school year shows a drop, then a dramatic rise, then a return to the original level during 2001-02.

1996-97: 111
1997-98:   76
1998-99:   60
1999-00: 120
2000-01: 120
2001-02: 108

It is tempting to think of this dip-and-rise as indicative of some trends in society at large, but I can think of no compelling connections. I'd welcome readers' speculations. I do suspect that the most likely cause for the doubling of calls in 1999-2000 was an institutional change. NCTE expanded its outreach with the Anti-Censorship Center on its Web site and regular notices in The Council Chronicle headed "Censorship Problem?" Possibly, the numbers for the most recent session would have been higher if the website's online form headed "Record of Censorship Challenge" had remained operative. It had been absent for several months during a Web site redesign, but it is available again.

All calls receive prompt telephone, fax, or e-mail responses, followed by other action when requested. Listed alphabetically below are some of the cases that deal with censorship of 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 were offered in all cases; they typically go to the school board president or the superintendent. OUTCOMES (when known at press time) are capitalized. An asterisk (*) before a title indicates that it was previously reported, but the outcome was then unknown.

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/censorship/ and click on the "Report a Censorship Incident" option.

BELOVED  Toni Morrison (Grade 11, CA) Profanity, sexual content, bestiality, "attacks Christian values." NCTE Censorship Packet and rationale sent.  RETAINED.

Addendum: The teacher writes, "Many teachers and students came to the defense of  Beloved at the School Board meeting....The complaining parent, however, who has a column in our local paper, has continued to use the space for talking out against the book. The district has placed a band-aid on this issue, I feel, and  although the book has been retained for now, I don't think it has been "resolved."

THE BLUEST EYE  Toni Morrison (Grade 11 honors, 0H) sexual content, profanity. NCTE Censorship Packet, rationale, and letter of support sent. RETAINED.

BRAVE NEW WORLD  Aldous Huxley (Grade 12 college preparatory, PA) profanity. NCTE Censorship Packet and rationale sent. RETAINED.

CATCHER IN THE RYE  J.D. Salinger  (Grade 8, advanced curriculum, IL) profanity. NCTE Censorship Packet , rationale , and letter of support sent.  RETAINED.

THE CHOCOLATE WAR  Robert Cormier (Grade 9, OH) profanity, sexual content. NCTE Censorship Packet , rationale , and letter of support sent. RETAINED.

FLOWERS FOR ALGERNON  Daniel Keyes (Grade 8, OK) profanity, sexual content, alcohol. NCTE Censorship Packet , rationale, and letter of support sent.  BANNED from classrooms; library access only.

Addendum: The teacher reports that, despite a recommendation to retain by both the review committee and the superintendent, the Board was intimidated by the parent's statement that "You aren't a Christian" if you vote to retain. This is a public school district.

GOING AFTER CACCIATO   Tim O'Brien (Grade 11, OK) profanity, ethnic slurs. NCTE Censorship Packet and letter of support sent; no rationale available. RETAINED.

Addendum: The teacher writes, "The novel was retained with a vote of 10-0 at the district-level hearing....In fact, I taught the book again during the last six weeks  and had 100% parent support."

THE HANDMAID'S TALE  Margaret Atwood (Grade 11 honors, U.S. military school, Germany) sexual content, profanity, religious references. NCTE Censorship Packet and letter of support sent; no rationale available. RETAINED.

HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS  Isabel Allende (Grade 12 Advanced Placement, OR) sexual content, demons depicted. NCTE Censorship Packet and rationale sent. RETAINED.

Addendum: The teacher writes, "We have a group of parents that think they own the world and can change anything they dislike.  [They] would not agree to any of the options the school district offered. 1 Read the novel. 2. Change novels and read another of the same genre. 3. Drop the class. All...novels went through a district review process in 1998 and that decision has held."

HARRY POTTER  Series (Grade 2, read-aloud, OH) violence, witchcraft. NCTE Censorship Packet, rationale, and letter of support sent. RETAINED.

HOUSE ON MANGO STREET  (Grades 6, 8, 10, FL) some passages "not appropriate. NCTE Censorship Packet sent; no rationale available.  RETAINED in grades 8-10, WITHDRAWN by teachers in grade 6.

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS  Maya Angelou (Grade 10 honors, PA) sexual content. NCTE Censorship Packet and rationale sent. SELF-CENSORED. 

Addendum: The librarian reports that the complaining parent didn't follow through with a formal request for review--but the teacher "decided not to use this book again....She doesn't feel it's worth the hassle. So, the complainant won." Twice, actually. The same parent pressured the same teacher into dropping THE CHOCOLATE WAR last year.

INHERIT THE WIND   J. Lawrence and R.E. Lee (Grade 9, CA) "Biblically inaccurate" on evolution; "belittles Christians." NCTE Censorship Packet , rationale, and letter of support sent. RETAINED.  

JULIE OF THE WOLVES   Jean Craighead George (Grade 5, PA) offensive language, sexual content. NCTE Censorship Packet and rationale sent. RETAINED.

*LITERATURE: STRUCTURE, SOUND AND SENSE  (Anthology) Thomas Perrine, ed. (Grade 12 Advanced Placement, UT) sexual content in student-selected works. NCTE Censorship Packet and letter of support sent; no rationale available. RETAINED.

Addendum: This complex case involved an unknown complainant, review policies that were ignored, politicians' wives, a citizens' committee and other outrages. All ended well, though, as a notice went forth to the effect that the AP course was an elective from which students might withdraw if they wished.

MERIDIAN   Alice Walker (Grade 10 multicultural unit, MD) profanity, sexual content. NCTE Censorship Packet and letter of support sent; no rationale available.  RETAINED.  

NIP THE BUDS, SHOOT THE KIDS   Kenzaburo Oe (Grade 10 honors, PA) homosexual references, violence. NCTE Censorship Packet and letter of support sent; no rationale available.  RETAINED.

Addendum: This victory could be reversed. The teacher writes, "The district, in an attempt to avoid such controversy in the future, is ready to capitulate and is revisiting the entire reading list."  NCTE will keep in contact.

OF MICE AND MEN   John Steinbeck--(three cases)--(Grade 10, CA) insulting to blacks, women and mentally retarded; creates a "hostile school environment...devalues human life." NCTE Censorship Packet , rationale, and letter of support sent. RETAINED. Second case (Grade unknown, MI) profanity. NCTE Censorship Packet  and rationale sent. RETAINED. Third case (Grade 11, OK) profanity. NCTE Censorship Packet and rationale sent. RETAINED.

Addendum: The California case, with its kitchen sink full of objections, was from the same district where INHERIT THE WIND (above) was challenged. The curriculum director believes the protesters will be back; they seem more interested in wearing down the administration than seriously examining literary works.

ROMEO AND JULIET  (movie with L. DeCaprio) William Shakespeare  (Grade 10, IN) violence. NCTE Censorship Packet and letter of support sent; no rationale available.  RETAINED.

SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (movie) screenplay by Tom Stoppard (grade 9, CT) nudity. NCTE Censorship Packet and letter of support sent; no rationale available.  RETAINED, but teacher plans to initiate discussion of grade level placement with his colleagues.

THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM   Christopher Paul Curtis (elementary school library, potential classroom use, KY) objection unknown. NCTE Censorship Packet and rationale sent. RETAINED.  

Addendum: The teacher writes that the decision to retain the book in the library "overwhelmingly passed though all levels, including the school board....We did decide to create a letter that outlined the book, including a summary and reasons we thought it was a valuable addition to the reading program. Teachers may use this letter if they assign the book to their classrooms, but it is their decision whether or not to do so."

CODA-- Non-Renewal of Ohio Teacher's Contract in Book Controversy An experienced Ohio teacher of grades 9, 11 and Creative Writing was not rehired for 2002-03 as a result of disputes that began over the teaching of works such as Heather Has Two Mommies, Huckleberry Finn, Siddhartha, and, ironically, Fahrenheit 451, which involved a student debate on book-banning.

NCTE received information too late to be of help when the problem arose, but a strong letter of support for the works selected and for the debate activity was sent to the Board of Education when the non-removal was under review. A formal grievance with legal counsel cited excellent evaluations prior to conflicts with the principal; outlined incidents of professional and personal harassment; and listed other books taught in the same school without repercussions even though they had similar "objectionable" components. But the Board stonewalled. In the end, the censorship issue was sidelined and allegations of unprofessional conduct were highlighted. The teacher is seeking employment in a more sympathetic environment.