Red Flagging Books in Classrooms
Artist: Student Body
Year: 2014
Date of Action: January 2014
Region: North America
Location: Laureldale, PA
Subject: Explicit Sexuality, Political/Economic/Social Opinion, Religion, Sexual/Gender Orientation, Violence
Medium: Literature
Confronting Bodies: Muhlenberg School District
Description of Artwork: Books in classrooms of middle and high school students.
The Incident: Teachers in Muhlenberg School District were asked to inventory their classroom library books. Rating the books' themes as potentially considered: "Culturally Insensitive, Ethnically Insensitive, Regioulsly [sic] Insensitive, Gender Insensitive, Offensive” or “Violence, Profanity, Sexual Conent [sic].”
Results of Incident: School district gave teachers harsh inventory stipulations as well as unreasonable deadlines, forcing the mini libraries to be packed away. The students started an online petition, demanding return of book access.
Source:
• https://www.change.org/petitions/muhlenberg-school-district-school-board-save-our-books