WJJQ LOCAL NEWS
Controversial book to remain in Merrill classes, library

Friday, September 30, 2011

Montana 1948 will remain on the book shelf and in the class room at Merrill High School.

The school board voted 6-2 to keep the controversial book in the 10th grade curriculum and unanimously in the library. The issue arose when some parents complained that the themes of power abuse, rape and suicide were inappropriate.

The decision came after nearly an hour and a half of public comment.

Opponents of the book went over various reasons against the book, including unsuitability for students, pornographic material, and danger to developing minds. 11 people went through the full challenge process in order for the board to come to this step.

Supporters of the book claimed that the district had a obligation not to censor or ban books, and that teachers in the district were doing a good job of making sure students knew the concepts and context of the book in the classroom. They also cited freedom of speech issues, and Supreme Court decision that school boards could not remove books from schools simply because they disagree with the content.

The book is also in the TB Scott Free Library in Merrill, but the current hold list is 20 people long.

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