The superintendent of Highland Park ISD reversed a controversial decision to suspend seven books from the high school’s approved book list, he announced Sunday night.
Superintendent Dawson Orr suspended the books earlier this month after parents challenged their content because of sex scenes and references to rape, abuse and abortion. The books could not be used for classroom instruction, pending a review by a committee of parents, teachers and students.
After the suspension, another group of parents and students fought the decision and an alumna started an online petition, which more than 2,000 people signed. The debate attracted national attention and criticism.
Orr apologized for the debacle on Sunday, saying that the decision to suspend the books followed questions from hundreds of parents.
“I made the decision in an attempt to de-escalate the conflict, and I readily admit that it had the opposite effect,” he said in an email to parents. “I take full responsibility for the decision, and I apologize for the disruption it has caused.
“All the titles that were temporarily suspended will be restored to the approved reading list,” he said.
Seven books were suspended: The Art of Racing in the Rain; The Glass Castle; The Working Poor: Invisible in America; Siddhartha; The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian; An Abundance of Katherines; and Song of Solomon.
Only one book — The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein — has been formally challenged and will be reviewed by a committee of parents, teachers and students, he said. The book will be taught in the classroom while the book is reviewed, he said.
The seven books are among more than 200 titles that high school English teachers can use for classroom instruction. Three of the seven suspended books were scheduled to be taught this school year.
Orr said the suspended books remained on the school library’s shelves and could be read in students’ free time.
Last week, one of the seven suspended books, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, was reinstated after an individual withdrew a challenge.
Walls, the scheduled keynote speaker for the district’s annual literary festival in February, said she understood parents’ desire to protect their children. But she said she was heartbroken over her book’s suspension. Her memoir is about growing up in poverty with an alcoholic father and a mentally ill mother.
“My book has ugly elements to it, but it’s about hope and resilience, and I don’t know why that wouldn’t be an important message,” she said previously.
The Glass Castle will be taught in high school English classes in the spring.
Orr said the district is working to improve its literature review committees that help select books for the approved book list. He said the district will send parent permission forms if a book contains “potentially objectionable content” and remind them that they can request another book for their child.
“The goal is to provide all students with excellent reading material that meets the same instructional objectives. We are committed to ensuring that the process for providing alternative choices will meet the needs of every student and parent.”
He said that going forward, challenged books will continue to be taught in the classroom until a formal decision is made.
AT A GLANCE: The 7 suspended books
Highland Park ISD suspended seven books from classroom use until they could be reviewed by a committee of parents, teachers and students. Following are the books and references to content that raised objections from some parents:
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
This contemporary novel is told through the point of view of Enzo, a dog. Enzo tells the story of his race car driving owner, who loses his wife unexpectedly and faces a child custody battle with his in-laws. The book includes a sex scene in which a teenage neighbor forces herself on the main character and falsely accuses him of statutory rape.
The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler
This nonfiction book, written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, is about employed Americans who live on the brink of poverty. It includes a story of a woman who was raped in second grade and had an abortion in high school.
Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
This classic novel, written in 1922, is about the spiritual journey of a man living in the time of Buddha. In the book, the main character fathers a child out of wedlock and has sexual encounters with prostitutes.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
This contemporary young adult book is a National Book Award winner. It tells the story of a teenager who grows up on the Spokane Indian Reservation but leaves to attend an all-white high school in a farm town. The book has strong language, including racial slurs.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
This contemporary young adult book is about a boy who has dated and been dumped by multiple girls named Katherine. He goes on a road trip with a friend and tries to come up with a mathematical formula that will help him avoid heartbreak. It includes sexual references.
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
This nonfiction book is about the author, who grew up in a dysfunctional home with parents who struggled with financial problems, alcoholism and mental illness.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
This coming-of-age novel, written by a Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winner, is about a young black man who grows up in Michigan. It has profanity, sexual imagery and a story line about an incestuous relationship.
