Virginia district pulls children’s book over gay theme
A children's book about two male penguins that hatch and parent a chick was pulled from library shelves in Loudoun County elementary schools this month after a parent complained that it promoted a gay agenda. The decision by Superintendent Edgar B. Hatrick III led many parents and gay rights advocates to rush to the penguins' defense. Many say that the school system should not have allowed one complaint to limit children's literary choices. Some are calling for an overhaul of the book review policy. Besides, many say, what could be wrong with a book about penguins? The book is based “on a true story ... of what happens in the animal kingdom,” said David Weintraub, director of Equality Loudoun, a gay rights organization. “It's about the joy of being part of a family.” In Loudoun, the book was challenged at Sugarland Elementary School several months ago, officials said, by a parent. Following school system policy, the principal convened an advisory committee of principals, librarians, teachers and parents to review the book. The group deemed it acceptable, and the principal concurred. The parent appealed. Another committee of administrators, librarians and parents reviewed the book. That committee, too, recommended that it remain in the collection. Hatrick made the final call. Wayde B. Byard, a school spokesman, said that Hatrick made a “split decision.” Although “Tango” was pulled from the shelves, it will remain in the librarian's collection. At 16 elementary schools, the book is now part of the professional collection, where it is stored with instructional texts and can be checked out only by parents or teachers. It's still in the general collection at one middle school and two high schools. According to Byard, Hatrick thought the book's content might not be developmentally appropriate for some students. “He thought the book, for some of the younger students, would be better read with an adult or a teacher,” Byard said.
But censorship watchdogs say Hatrick's decision still sends a strong message. “If you are putting something behind a desk, you are saying something is wrong with it,” said Judith Krug, director of the office for intellectual freedom at the American Library Association. “It's a degree of censorship, because they are making access to information extremely difficult.” Some parents and activists want to challenge Hatrick's decision and put the book back on shelves, but school system officials say there is no process to do that. John Stevens, a school board member, criticized those policies. Under the heading “Put The Penguins Back,” he wrote on his blog that the policies, last reviewed in 1993, are “deeply flawed and led to a bad decision.” Stevens wrote that parents should determine what is appropriate for their children. “The school should not be an instrument of censorship for parents who want veto power over the judgment of other parents,” he wrote. Stevens intends to propose a new set of policies at a committee meeting March 4.
Source: Washington Post, 2/17/08, Michael Alison Chandler
[Editor’s Note: This is not the first time that Tango has caused controversy in schools. Information on a similar incident in Shiloh, Illinois, and a link to a legal resource on curriculum controversies are below.]
NSBA School Law pages on Tango controversy