A School Board's Control Over Teacher's Book Selections

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The Great Gatsby, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Color Purple are three novels that are considered classics, and in some school districts these books and others could also be considered inappropriate. Within these school districts not only are the books regulated but also the teachers’ choices of such books. This regulation of teachers has been established throughout the years through court cases and within multiple school districts. Teachers’ book choices and lesson plans are regulated in result of representation of the government, allowing students a neutral learning environment and following the curriculum established within the school district. One of the main court cases that have dealt with teachers’ first amendment rights is the case of Evans-Marshall v. Board of Education of Tipp City Exempted Village School District. This case first began in Ohio, when English teacher Shelley Evans-Marshall asked her class to select a book off of the list “One Hundred Most Frequently Challenged Books”(Lampe, 2010). The students were then asked to debate in class why they believed that the book had been challenged by other school districts. After this assignment was given, several parents “complained about the curricular choices”(Lampe, 2010: pg.1). Eventually a petition was signed by over 500 parents of the school, saying they wanted “decency and excellence” in the classroom. With this, the school board unanimously voted to terminate Evans-Marshall’s contract. Evans-Marshall filed against the school board saying that they interfered with her First Amendment rights (Lampe, 2010: Pg.1). In this case, the Sixth Circuit court of Ohio sided with the school board of Tipp City Exempted Village School District. This decision was ma... ... middle of paper ... ...o-select-books-and-methods-i Legal Clips » High school teacher does not have First Amendment right to make in-class curricular decisions regarding selection of books and methods of instruction. (n.d.). Legal Clips . Retrieved September 16, 2011, from http://legalclips.nsba.org/?p=2753 Lelyveld, N. (1998, March 19). In San Francisco, A Battle Of The Books School Board Considers Racial Quota For Students' Reading List. - Philly.com. Featured Articles from Philly.com. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://articles.philly.com/1998-03-19/news/25743795_1_nonwhite-authors-reading-list-students-graduate Thevenot, B. (2010, March 17). The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 18, 2011, from http://www.texastribune.org/texas-education/state-board-of-education/colbert-report-satirizes-texas-history-textbooks/print/ APA formatting by BibMe.org.

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