'We Have Not Banned Any Books' Lemont High School Says

LEMONT, IL — Lemont High School administrators came under fire this week after reports that they had banned books from students' required reading.

The school took to the Internet Saturday to debunk rumors and clarify school procedure regarding two books in the curriculum: 'The God of Small Things' by Arundhati Roy, and Maya Angelou's 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.'

A recent article from the Cook County Chronicle hasled some to believe the school is banning books, wrote the district on its website.

"This is not true," reads a statement. "We understand that this is a sensitive subject for many, whether they are current Lemont students, parents, alumni, educators, community members, and individuals across the country."

The statement goes on to explain how the events unfolded over a period of two months. English II Academic classes this year were assigned excerpts from The God of Small Things. The book "contains subject matter in some sections that is not age-appropriate for the students who were reading the book; the questionable passages were not assigned for students to read," the district said in the statement. The book slipped through the cracks of the district's review of curricular materials prior to the novel being assigned to students.

"'The God of Small Things' was not on that list of materials for the 2016-17 school year," reads the statement. "The book was introduced into our curriculum without the Board of Education’s knowledge, and upon learning this, Principal Eric Michaelsen proactively communicated on November 2 with all parents/guardians of students enrolled in the class to explain the situation and to apologize for the book having been utilized this semester."

But contrary to what some parents have stated, the district says "the concern about the content of some portions of the book did not originate from parents or community members," instead coming from the class' teachers.

"Only after the school transparently communicated with parents about the unauthorized use of this book did external concerns come forward," the district said.

Curricular activities related to The God of Small Things had concluded prior to the school’s communication with parents. This book was not “pulled” from the classroom during the instructional unit.

— Lemont High School District 210

At the board's Nov. 21 meeting, several parents attended and shared "literature intimating that Lemont High School included pornographic material in its English curriculum," at one point referring to Pulitzer Prize-winning Maya Angelou's autobiography, in addition to 'The God of Small Things'—which parent Laura Reigle referred to as"smut" and "porn."

Resident Rick Ligthart addressed the board with the statement below, as reported by the Cook County Chronicle.

“Regardless of the books, I’m recommending to the board that no literature whatsoever be inclusive of literal metaphorical, figurative or allegorical words for male or female genitals,” Ligthart told the board. “English classes should not be involved in sexuality in literature for our kids. It shouldn’t be in any books. No books. ... We can’t have 18-year-olds reading about masturbation or sexual issues, regardless of the literature. I don’t care if it’s from Dickens or who else."

The district responded to Ligthart's concerns, which were echoed by others at the meeting and since.

"'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' has been part of Lemont High School’s curriculum for several years," reads the statement. "There are brief sections of the book that include sexual content. Prior to students reading the book, our English Department notifies parents/guardians that the book will be used, explains that the book contains limited adult content, and gives them the opportunity to request an alternative reading assignment for their student. No parent took us up on the option for an alternative reading assignment this year."

The book was not pulled from the curriculum, as some have stated, the district said.

"No school’s curriculum is stagnant; our faculty and administration constantly are reviewing and revising our curriculum based on the needs of our students, appropriate learning standards, and newly available educational resources," the statement reads. "At any time, we may discontinue the use of some materials, include new materials, or bring back old materials that may not have been used in previous years.

"Again, to reiterate, Lemont High School has not banned any books."