letter to buncombe school board: kite runner

8/20/2019 Letter to Buncombe School Board: Kite Runner

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June 29, 2015

Ms. Ann Franklin, ChairBuncombe County Board of EducationBuncombe County SchoolsAdministrative Services Building175 Bingham RoadAsheville, NC 28806Via email: [email protected]

Dear Ms. Franklin and Buncombe County School Board Members,

As organizations dedicated to the freedom to read, the integrity of the public education system, and the application of First Amendment law and principles in public institutions, we are writing to urge you to accept the recommendation of the two Media/Technology Advisory Committees to keep Khaled Hosseini’s novel T h e K i t e R u n n e r in Buncombe Countyschools. We also hope you will take this opportunity to review the board policy that required the removal of the book before the merits of the challenge were considered, disrupting the education of all students in the class in response to acomplaint from one parent. According to published reports, a parent whose child was in an English II Honors class at A.C. Reynolds High Schoolobjected to the language and some of the themes in T h e K i t e R u n n e r ; she specifically complained about graphicdescriptions of violence and “inaccurately assigning Judeo-Christian characteristics to a Muslim god.” In a letter toparents, the teacher had explained the literary value of the novel and noted that it deals with “complex and serious

issues.” The class was to begin reading the book, which, as you know, has been on the district’s high school approvedreading list for several years, on May 5. However, in response to the parental complaint, it was removed pending reviewby the building level MTAC, which met on May 11 and found that

T h e K i t e R u n n e r “merits inclusion in the curriculum

and should remain an option to be used as a supplementary novel in whole class settings or as self-selected reading atthe teacher’s discretion.” The parent appealed the decision, after which the community level MTAC voted unanimouslyon June 16 to reject the appeal. The matter is now before the Board for final decision on June 30. Although the book remained in the A.C. Reynolds High School media center, and some students elected to read it aspart of an informal book club, the book remained suspended for classroom use through the end of the school year as perdistrict policy. As a result, the students missed out on a rich educational experience that can only be had through guidedclass discussion. We are sure you will agree that classroom discussion of literature that addresses complicated andpotentially disturbing themes is an important means to help students grapple emotionally and intellectually with such

material and is highly preferable to reading on one’s own. Described by

S c h o o l L i b r a r y J o u r n a l as a “beautifully written… gripping story of personal redemption [that] will capture

readers’ interest,”T h e K i t e R u n n e r

is a critically acclaimed best-selling novel that is widely read by high school studentsaround the country. In 2004, the American Library Association (ALA) presented it with the prestigious Alex Award,given annually to books recommended for readers ages 12 through 18. According to a review published by the NationalCouncil of Teachers of English (NCTE):

T h e K i t e R u n n e r by Khaled Hosseini (2003) tells a tale that includes some of literature’s and life’s greatest

themes—love, honor, guilt, fear, and redemption. These are themes and feelings that all humans experience intheir lifetimes. What better way to relate to a book than through emotions that each reader has experienced in


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some form at some point. Finding literature for teenagers to read focuses on making connections and relatingtheir own lives to these books; Hosseini certainly accomplishes this in his novel.

It is the policy of Buncombe County Schools that material can only be removed “for legitimate educational reasons andsubject to the limitations of the First Amendment,” and emphasizes that professional educators are “in the best positionto determine whether a particular instructional material is appropriate for the age and maturity of the students and forthe subject matter being taught.” However, as the district may have realized in the course of this particular challenge,section C6 of Policy 3210 is problematic. A complainant should not be able to disrupt an entire classroom while thecomplaint is being considered or the material in question is being reviewed. Doing so compromises the rights of the

students and the integrity of the system. The suspension of the book in this case, due to the unit’s proximity to the end of the school year, meant that it was effectively and permanently removed from the 2014-2015 A.C. Reynolds High School’sEnglish II Honors class. Removing a book because some object to or disapprove of it raises serious constitutional questions. The FirstAmendment “protects the citizen against the State itself and all of its creatures—Boards of Education not excepted.” W e s t V i r g i n i a B o a r d o f E d u c a t i o n v . B a r n e t t e

(1943). As a result, school officials are bound by a constitutional duty not tosuppress unpopular, controversial, or even “objectionable” ideas. It is a fundamental First Amendment principle that“local school boards may not remove books simply because they dislike the ideas contained in these books.”

B o a r d o f

E d u c a t i o n , I s l a n d T r e e s U n i o n F r e e S c h o o l D i s t r i c t N o . 2 6 v . P i c o (1982). Thus, decisions about instructional materials must

be based on sound educational grounds. Objections to the message, ideas, or content do not provide an adequate basis forthe removal of any book.

A school district puts its students at a distinct disadvantage if it fails to introduce them to the range of ideas that they willencounter in life. Indeed, Buncombe County Schools’ own Vision Statement says that its “students will reach their fullpotential and become successful, responsible citizens in a diverse, global society.” A district can only do so by fosteringthoughtful conversation, not stifling it through the removal of literature like

T h e K i t e R u n n e r from the classroom.

We urge you to make your decision regarding the challenge to T h e K i t e R u n n e r on sound educational grounds and vote tokeep the book in the classroom. We also suggest that you seriously consider revising Policy 3210, C6 to reinforceBuncombe’s commitment to constitutional and educational principles and prevent the premature removal of valuablematerial on insufficient grounds.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

Lin OliverExecutive DirectorSociety of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators

Joan Bertin, Executive DirectorNational Coalition Against Censorship

Chris Finan, PresidentAmerican Booksellers For Free Expression

Judy Platt, DirectorFree Expression AdvocacyAssociation of American Publishers

Charles Brownstein, Executive DirectorComic Book Legal Defense Fund

Millie Davis, Senior DeveloperAffiliate Groups and Public OutreachNational Council of Teachers of English

Fatima Shaik, ChairChildren's and Young Adult Book CommitteePEN American Center


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CC: Mr. Chip Craig, Vice Chairman: [email protected]. Amy Churchill: [email protected]. Dusty Pless: [email protected]. Pat Bryant: [email protected]. Max Queen: [email protected]. Cindy McMahon: [email protected]. Tony Baldwin, Superintendent: [email protected]. Susanne Swanger, Associate Superintendent: [email protected]. Donald Porter, Director of Communications: [email protected]

letter to buncombe school board: kite runner

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