[LM_NET] Teacher Censorship

[Chris Putnam-Pouliot <cp4854@ALBANY.EDU>]

Hello fellow librarians,

I would like your input on a situation I'm facing in my school. I work in
a K-12 library, so I have resources from picture books to adult books. My
policy is that I let students take out any book they want. If a parent
objects to what their child is reading, I will honor their request to have
the child stop reading the book. I am brand new here and I wrote a
collection development policy which includes a reconsideration of
materials clause. However, the school board has not approved the policy
yet.

The problem I'm facing right now is that a fourth grade student borrowed
two Stephen King books. She told me that she has seen Stephen King movies.
When she told her mother that the books had swears, her mother said that
was fine, as long as the girl does not use those words in school. The
student's classroom teacher has confiscated the books and will not allow
the student to finish reading them. This was done without consulting me.
My question for all of you is this:

Should teachers have the right to tell their students what they can read?

How should I handle this situation? I am going to meet with the principal
when I can get a time scheduled, and I'd love to have some input from
other professionals!

Please reply off list. I will post a hit if anyone asks for one.

Thanks!

-- 
Chris Putnam-Pouliot
K-12 Librarian
Elizabethtown-Lewis Central School
Elizabethtown NY
cp4854@albany.edu

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