The Chico Unified School District is capable of banning books. Obviously librarians have discretion as to what books and magazines they allow in their libraries as they make purchases. The definition here will be books and or magazines that a school library had and were removed (or attempted to be removed) by complaints from parents or other interested parties, and the reasons behind their banning (from the original petitioning party to the school officials). When a book is being challenged, a committee is formed to review the book and to determine if there is a legitimate reason to remove it from libraries. Factors considered include both perceived positive and negative aspects of such books. If the committee denies pulling a challenged book, then the original petitioners may elevated it to the CUSD Board of Trustees.
Presumably a student could bring a privately owned copy of a banned book onto school property.
Banned Books
There are no known actively banned books at this time.
Potentially Banned Books
And Tango Makes Three
And Tango Makes Three is a book by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson with illustrations by Henry Cole. It is a Children's book based on true events about two adult male penguins named Roy and Silo that raise a penguin chick. Together they raised a healthy female that might have otherwise perished with its original "mixed-sexed" parents. See Wikipedia for additional details.
The petitioners are two parents from Emma Wilson School and one from Shasta School. The Chico ER article, "Banning 'Tango': Chico schools urged to take children's book off shelves", published on 10/21/2008, did not mention specifically what the parents objected to. However it is likely that they object to two coupled adult males raising a chick. The book has been challenged many times across the nation for this very reason (see Seattle Times article). A decision should be reached by the end of November, 2008.
- Are the books actually banned (i.e., students cannot carry them onto schools), or when they are "banned", they are just not purchased or carried by the schools? (By that criteria, quite a few magazines like Hustler, Penthouse Forums and Barely Legal are likely classed as "banned") Also, it may not be obvious that this entry is about schools, not "banned in Chico". —Evan 'JabberWokky' Edwards
- I've been trying to find the right words to describe what is meant by banned. Obviously librarians have discretion as to what books and magazines they allow in their libraries as they make purchases. I think the definition here will be books and or magazines that a school library had and were removed by complaints from parents or other interested parties. I may find a better name for this page — maybe CUSD Banned Books or Banned Books in Chico Public Schools. Although Books Removed from Public School Libraries might be more accurate as I am certain students could bring a "banned" book from home. Thanks for your comment! —RyanMikulovsky
Update: According to a Chico ER article dated November 131, CUSD formed a committee that decided to allow the book to remain on the shelves in the elementary schools.
Comments
2012-08-11 01:33:54 So a student could bring a "banned" book to school? —76.20.27.125
