[LM_NET] TAR: Book Challenge

["Gustafson, Jean" <JeanGustafson@SELAH.K12.WA.US>]

I am sending this for a colleague who is not a member.  Here is her
message; afterwards I will fill you in on what she has done so far.

I am embroiled in a nasty book challenge!! Boy, I could have done
without this!! The parent is a fanatic who attends every board meeting
and rages about something! That being said, he is still very dangerous.
We are trying to pass a 2nd vote on a levy and he is not above extortion
to achieve his goal. The book is The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman.
He has since decided that all three books have to go--he's read none of
them. Over spring vacation, he finally decided to file the proper
complaint papers. This was after a particularly unpleasant phone call to
me followed by a lengthy email to district administrators, etc. in which
he impugned my character threatening to go to the police to charge me
with child endangerment by providing an unsafe environment for
children...yada, yada, yada.
Needless to say, all the right people have voiced their support and
we're on the challenge with the committee and the procedure, etc.  It's
just that I never guessed it could be so nasty and ...personal! Whew.
I fear this is only going to get worse as the trilogy is being made into
a movie and with the rather "anti-Christian" slant that can be
interpreted, all the fundamentalists will come out of the woodwork.
--sigh
I never has this level of trouble while in the classroom :)

Her name is Nita Paine; please send any helpful hints and or comments to
her e-mail address.  painen@eastmont206.org

She has filled out the appropriate form at ALA for help but hasn't heard
back from them yet.  She has a message to Washington State's library
Media association president and been advised to contact the school
district and the Jr. College across the river's librarians to let them
know and to glean any ideas from them.

Jean

R. Jean Gustafson
Teacher/Librarian
Selah Jr. High
Selah, WA 98942
jeangustafson@selah.k12.wa.us 
http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JHS/Gustafson/Library.cfm 

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