Mississippi School District Bans 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Because Of 'Uncomfortable Language'

BILOXI, MS — A school district in Mississippi has pulled the iconic book "To Kill A Mockingbird" after complaints about wording in the book. The book, which tackles the topic of racism, was pulled from the curriculum of the eighth grade English Language Arts classes in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“There were complaints about it," Kenny Holloway, vice president of the Biloxi School Board, told The Sun Herald. "There is some language in the book that makes people uncomfortable, and we can teach the same lesson with other books."

Holloway told the paper that the book was still in the library but another book would be used in the eighth grade course.

Watch: 'To Kill A Mockingbird' Pulled From Classrooms In Mississippi

The book, written by Harper Lee, is set in small town Alabama and revolves around a black man who is accused of raping a white woman. The book is told from the perspective of Jean Louise Finch, nicknamed "Scout," the daughter of Atticus Finch, who is appointed to defend the black man. The book was adapted into a movie in 1962 with Gregory Peck in the role of Atticus Finch.

In a statement to the Sun Herald, Superintendent Arthur McMillan did not answer whether the book had been pulled, and said there are many resources available to teach state academic standards to students and that these "may change periodically." The online curriculum for eighth grade English Language Arts still lists the book as part of the course.

The Sun Herald also published an editorial criticizing the decision to pull the book titled, "Please don't kill this opportunity to talk about racism."

>>>You can read more via The Biloxi Sun Herald here.

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