Comments on: Banned books debate goes local http://prairieprogressive.com/2009/11/11/banned-books-debate-goes-local/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=banned-books-debate-goes-local a blog about books, reading and other things that bring nuance to life Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:11:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Maren http://prairieprogressive.com/2009/11/11/banned-books-debate-goes-local/comment-page-1/#comment-8487 Maren Sun, 22 Nov 2009 20:30:51 +0000 http://prairieprogressive.com/?p=6131#comment-8487 Oh sheesh, I just saw that you're an attorney. Obviously you're familiar with the legal precedents; sorry, didn't mean to come across as condescending! Oh sheesh, I just saw that you’re an attorney. Obviously you’re familiar with the legal precedents; sorry, didn’t mean to come across as condescending!

]]> By: Maren http://prairieprogressive.com/2009/11/11/banned-books-debate-goes-local/comment-page-1/#comment-8484 Maren Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:56:28 +0000 http://prairieprogressive.com/?p=6131#comment-8484 I know I'm a little late, but I just found this. I'm a librarian and an alumna of the SFSD (including Patrick Henry), but I no longer live in Sioux Falls. I would be deeply disappointed no matter which book they'd banned there, but this hits very close to home because I had a bad time at PHMS and books from the library helped me a lot. I think this one has the potential to do that for kids in similar situations, and one never knows what kind of book is going to connect with a kid and make them suddenly realize that they're not worthless, they don't have to put up with bullies, everyone goes through the same thing, etc. So anyway...determined not to let this stand, I sent an email to numerous District officials and to the Argus (they haven't published it), filed a FOIA request for the parent's written complaint and committee report, and formed a Facebook group where I'm posting the text of those documents as well as information and resources for anyone who may want to oppose the ban: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=173188521723&ref=mf Unfortunately we don't seem to have attracted any current students or parents as I had hoped, although we do have other alumni (none of whom live in Sioux Falls). If you or anyone you know was planning to oppose the ban, I just wanted to let you know about this resource. There are multiple Supreme Court precedents specifically dealing with free speech in schools, and I think if a parent reminded the District of this they would probably back down rather than get into a court battle that they would lose. To answer a few of your questions above...I do consider this a full ban, and I think the ALA and civil liberties groups would agree with me. There is a well-documented chilling effect whereby teachers often choose not to use books that have been restricted because they don't want a confrontation and fear their district would not back them up. As for the grade-level issue: none of the reviews' recommendations start higher than grade 7/age 12. If they had somehow found a way to disallow 6th graders only from accessing the book, I would have snorted but gone about my day instead of launching a campaign. :) I know I’m a little late, but I just found this. I’m a librarian and an alumna of the SFSD (including Patrick Henry), but I no longer live in Sioux Falls. I would be deeply disappointed no matter which book they’d banned there, but this hits very close to home because I had a bad time at PHMS and books from the library helped me a lot. I think this one has the potential to do that for kids in similar situations, and one never knows what kind of book is going to connect with a kid and make them suddenly realize that they’re not worthless, they don’t have to put up with bullies, everyone goes through the same thing, etc.

So anyway…determined not to let this stand, I sent an email to numerous District officials and to the Argus (they haven’t published it), filed a FOIA request for the parent’s written complaint and committee report, and formed a Facebook group where I’m posting the text of those documents as well as information and resources for anyone who may want to oppose the ban: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=173188521723&ref=mf

Unfortunately we don’t seem to have attracted any current students or parents as I had hoped, although we do have other alumni (none of whom live in Sioux Falls). If you or anyone you know was planning to oppose the ban, I just wanted to let you know about this resource. There are multiple Supreme Court precedents specifically dealing with free speech in schools, and I think if a parent reminded the District of this they would probably back down rather than get into a court battle that they would lose.

To answer a few of your questions above…I do consider this a full ban, and I think the ALA and civil liberties groups would agree with me. There is a well-documented chilling effect whereby teachers often choose not to use books that have been restricted because they don’t want a confrontation and fear their district would not back them up. As for the grade-level issue: none of the reviews’ recommendations start higher than grade 7/age 12. If they had somehow found a way to disallow 6th graders only from accessing the book, I would have snorted but gone about my day instead of launching a campaign. :)

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