Kevin Brown Superintendent Rocklin Unified School District 2615 Sierra Meadows Drive, Rocklin, CA 95677 October 23,

2012

Dear Superintendent Brown, We are writing in response to a recent challenge to the novella Apt Pupil contained in Stephen Kings story collection Different Seasons (Signet) in Rocklin Unified School District. We understand that the book is being reconsidered by a district committee after a parental complaint about the content of the novella, specifically a dream sequence which involves a rape scene. It is our understanding that the book is shelved in high school libraries in Rocklin USD, which means that students are not required to read the book, but may elect to do so. Parents who object to the book may guide their child to a different choice. They have no constitutional right to restrict all students access to a library book because it conflicts with their personal values; but neither do they or their children have to read it. School officials are bound by constitutional considerations, including a duty not to give in to pressure to suppress unpopular ideas or controversial language. The Supreme Court has cautioned that, [l]ocal school boards may not remove books from library shelves simply because they dislike the ideas contained in those books and seek by their removal to prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion. Board of Education v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853, 872 (1982)(plurality opinion). This constitutional duty applies with particular force in the school library, which, unlike the classroom, has a special role...as a place where students may freely and voluntarily explore diverse topics. Campbell v. St. Tammany Parish School Board, 64 F. 3d 184, 190 (5th Cir. 1995). Libraries in this country have a long history of defending free access to information and ideas, and supporting individuals rights to choose the best reading material for themselves and their own families. The Library Bill of Rights, adopted in 1939, states that, Libraries should provide materials and information presenting all points of view on current and historical issues. Materials should not be proscribed or removed because of partisan or doctrinal disapproval. Such removal or restriction, in response to

disapproval or complaints about content, would be contrary to the mission and professional ethics of American libraries. The genre of speculative fiction, which includes stories categorized as horror, is a type of science-fiction that has a long tradition in literature and popular culture. In recent years, Horror has received serious critical and academic attention. The form can be traced back to celebrated gothic novelists Ann Radcliffe (A Sicilian Romance, The Mysteries of Udolpho, Mary Shelley (Frankenstein) and Edgar Allen Poe, and thrives today in fiction texts and in film. While gothic/horror stories may, as they intend, elicit a strong response in some readers, they often deal with important themes like social responsibility, trust, fear, death, the struggle between good and evil and identity. Stephen King is perhaps the most popular and recognized contemporary author of speculative fiction today. King has garnered a number of prestigious honors for his work, including ten Bram Stoker Awards, the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, the O. Henry Award, the Canadian Booksellers Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. There can be little doubt about the educational and entertainment value of Kings work. Indeed, none has been raised. The only objection is to the content, which as noted above, is not a constitutionally valid basis for removing the book. The parental complaint centers on the novella Apt Pupil, which portrays a friendship between a young boy and a former Nazi commander and deals with the corruptive influence of power and evil. Had the objector read the work in its entirety (she admits to having read just thirty percent) she might have seen that the story does not endorse the violence it portrays but treats the inclinations of the characters with a degree of disgust. The rape scene (in a wet dream) to which she objects in particular, serves to show the young boys desperation and revulsion over his friendship with the old man. The issues and themes dealt with in Apt Pupilthe atrocities of World War II, violence, a power struggle, corruptionmay not be suitable for all readers. If the parent feels the book is not suitable for her child, she is free to guide him to a different book, but her views are not shared by all parents and students. We understand there is some consideration of segregating the librarys offerings by placing some titles in a restricted section. This would not resolve the constitutional issue, since it is simply another way to restrict access. At best, students would be discouraged from reading books on mature or sensitive subjects and unable to browse certain titles because of their content, at worst they would be completely unaware of the existence of these books. Restricting access, like removing it entirely, is a censorship issue. We commend you for following Rocklin School Districts board policies and procedures that allow for the reconsideration of materials. We urge you now to assess this work as a whole, not by a single passage alone, and to consider your responsibility to the entire student body not to cater to any specific viewpoint and to provide a library that meets the needs and interests of all students. By that standard, there is no justification for removing

the book. Those who object are entitled to their view, but they may not impose it on others. We urge you to stand by the principle that is so essential to individual freedom, democracy, and a good education: the right to read, inquire, question, and think for ourselves. If we can be of assistance in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Sincerely,

Joan Bertin Executive Director National Coalition Against Censorship

Charles Brownstein Executive Director Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Chris Finan President American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression

Barbara M. Jones Director, Office for Intellectual Freedom American Library Association

Judith Platt Director, Free Expression Advocacy Association of American Publishers

Cc: Members, Board of Trustees, Rocklin Unified School District Mia Swenson, Executive Assistant to the Superintendent