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Read the updates at the end of the link in the OP. Appears that what the teacher was suspended for was reading questionable internet material to the class, not Ender's Game. Apparently only the parent called it "pornography" which in and of itself is laughable. He apparently had never read the book, a synopsis of the book, or does not know what the word pornography means.
Not according to the school district.
The teacher also read two other books that the district thought were questionable.
The Devil's Paintbox by Victoria McKernan which is described here:
Perhaps the word devil set someone off. Certainly Agatha Christie is not pornographic.
Now, if the teacher was reading stories about prostitutes from the internet as has been claimed, then I can see the suspension (and perhaps even a firing). I seriously doubt a claim like this. If it was true, more than one student would have reported it.
According to the incident report, a teacher had been reading pornographic material from the Internet to the students in class. One of the stories was about prostitutes ... Moderator cut: snipped for content
Last edited by JustJulia; 03-21-2012 at 01:56 PM..
Reason: please do not quote lengthy passages
Perhaps the word devil set someone off. Certainly Agatha Christie is not pornographic.
Now, if the teacher was reading stories about prostitutes from the internet as has been claimed, then I can see the suspension (and perhaps even a firing). I seriously doubt a claim like this. If it was true, more than one student would have reported it.
I am going by the school district's report of these three books. The district may not be telling the truth, but the parent may and the student may also be wrong about what was read. They did not mention what books these were, they only mentioned some lurid details.
Seriously, I cannot believe that a middle school science teacher would be that stupid in terms of reading pornographic stories, but if he did, then his teaching license should be revoked and there might be criminal charges.
The news report I saw said the mother in question used the word "pornographic". Other parents said the words "testicle" and "prostitute" were in the stories he read. There's quite a big difference between those two descriptors.
Another update. The three books Ender's Game, The Curtain: Poirot's Last Case and The Devil's Paintbox are all mentioned. The only one that was from his kindle was the third book.
The third called “The Devil’s Paintbox,” written by Victoria McKernan, was an e-book possibly projected onto a classroom SmartBoard from the teacher’s personal Kindle.
There are some passages about prostitution in this book
They were prostitutes who rode a circuit, servicing all five of Gilivrey's camps as well as East Royal St. Petersburg. Spending two nights in each camp brought them around about every two weeks, ...
From School Library Journal
This carefully researched novel describes actual historical events, such as the Sand Creek massacre, and includes an author's note about the controversy over whether or not Native Americans were deliberately infected with the virus. References to abortion, alcohol, and drug use (such as opium and laudanum), and a brief encounter with a prostitute, make this a vivid yet still teen-friendly read depicting the harsh realities of frontier life. The interactions between Aiden and Tupic, though somewhat unlikely, are fascinating as are the descriptions of life in an early lumber camp.
Last edited by JustJulia; 03-21-2012 at 01:58 PM..
Reason: please do not quote lengthy copywritten passages
Another update. The three books Ender's Game, The Curtain: Poirot's Last Case and The Devil's Paintbox are all mentioned. The only one that was from his kindle was the third book.
Ha! Not to mention the references to incest ("doing his little sister") and beastiality on p. 232! Some parents of 11, 12 or 13 year old kids, which is the avg. age of middle schoolers, might have a problem with this. So many books to choose from; wonder why he selected these???
Ha! Not to mention the references to incest ("doing his little sister") and beastiality on p. 232! Some parents of 11, 12 or 13 year old kids, which is the avg. age of middle schoolers, might have a problem with this. So many books to choose from; wonder why he selected these???
Article says the kids were 14, which I take to mean a mixture of either 13/14 or 14/15. To me, that's old enough to handle allusions to sex within the context of literature.
Does anyone else think this is another example of how American society seems A-Okay with portrayals of violence but are shocked and outraged by the smallest mention of sex?
P.S. Another piece of literature filled with rape, incest, and bestiality? Edith Hamilton's Mythology. Covered in my 7th grade English class and none of the children were corrupted by it.
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So many books to choose from; wonder why he selected these???