School Board Votes To Remove Book From Curriculum
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Mickell Dunn (standing) returned to the Water Valley School District board meeting for a second time to object to the use of a book as part of curriculum at Water Valley High School.
WATER VALLEY – The Water Valley School Board voted 3 -1 to discontinue use “The Perks Of Being A Wallflower” in school curricula following a second plea from a parent in Monday night’s school board meeting.
Mickell Dunn first appeared before the board on May 22 to object to the book being used in Water Valley High School curricula as well as being available for check-out in the school library. He described the content as sexually graphic with the glorification of drugs, alcohol, smoking and cursing.
Following his plea in the May meeting, the school board voted to require signed parental consent before a student can check out the book.
Dunn opened his comments at Monday night’s meeting with appreciation to the school board members.
“Thank you, I know it is a thankless job that y’all do. Thank you for being board members and for the time you invest in the school,” he said.
Dunn also thanked the school board for the May decision.
“That shows me that you are at least concerned about the book that we are concerned about,” Dunn added.
Dunn then explained the purpose of his return visit – an assurance from the school board that the book will no longer be used as a teaching tool or reading assignment in the Water Valley School District. Dunn stated that he believed the book encouraged inappropriate behavior.
“The statistics go to prove that inappropriate behavior increases our high school drop-out rate. Then we get to this book that encourages and enforces the type of behavior that we are trying to tell them not to participate in,” Dunn told board members. “How can we force them to read a book that is going to encourage behavior that we are steadily teaching against?”
Board members addressed Dunn’s concern during a lengthy executive session. Superintendent Jerry Williams told the Herald the decision was made after a long discussion and in consultation with the school board’s attorney. Board members Jill Clark, Tonya Eubanks and Joseph Flippin voted for the motion to discontinue the use of the book. Board member Kathryn York voted against the motion. Board member Rodney Phillips was absent from the meeting.
Prior to Dunn’s comments, other attendees who wished to address the board were also invited to speak in accordance with the school policy on public meeting.
Duncan Gray, vicar of the Church of the Nativity Episcopal Church, was the first to speak.
“I am not here to debate the merits of the book, though history suggests that censorship and banning books takes us down dark and dangerous paths,” Gray said. “I am here to suggest that you be very careful with your process of conversation and decision-making. Our cultural norm is to demonize one another with whom we disagree. Please don’t go there. It has not gotten us very far or been constructive in the decision-making for our country.”
Water Valley resident Wanda Smith was next to speak.
“My Christianity is strong in faith, but our kids, they are still growing and learning. All I ask is the book not be presented in a way of teaching these things because that should be a parent’s job to teach a child on sex or anything else,” Smith told board members.
She also noted that both official prayer and Bible classes have been removed from school.
“But yet we want to put something like this in the school for our kids. That is a lot. I am not trying to pull books out, that is not what I am doing. I am just saying, we as parents and grandparents, we train our children and grandchildren. But when they get to school they learn from their teachers. I had some awesome teachers. If we are going to have something like that, they need to put our Bibles back in,” she stressed.
Last to speak was R.W. Moffett, longtime pastor of Cornerstone Full Gospel in Water Valley.
“We went to school and never saw this kind of filth. It’s not education, you don’t have to be an educator to act like a fool,” Moffett said. “I am an American and I want to do right for America,” Moffett said. “This is not the America I used to know. We were taught to read and write and to treat people like we want to be treated, and to be good citizens. I don’t know what that book has to do with any of that.”
Moffett urged the school to stick with what is right.
“What happened to home economics, what happened to welding, what happened to agriculture, what happened to trades?” Moffett questioned.
He also said it was time to take a peaceful stand on the matter.
“We pray for the school and for you guys,” Moffett told board members.
Most of the crowd left following the comments on the book as the board addressed the remainder of the agenda items.
