School Board to Lanoue: Reconsider Decision to Keep Offensive Book

Chad and Beth Lowrey, parents of a Burney Harris Lyons 7th grader, were concerned about a passage in a book used in their child's classroom, so they asked school officials to remove the book.

Administrators refused, according to a story in the Athens Banner Herald, but Superintendent Phil Lanoue said the parents could opt out if they didn't want their son reading the book. The book in question is “And the Earth Did Not Devour Him,” by Tomas Rivera.

A majority of the Clarke County Board of Education voted Thursday night to ask Lanoue to reconsider his decision about the book, the story says. Members Sarah Ellis and David Huff voted to let Lanoue's decision stand, while Carol Williams, Charles Worthy, Carl Parks, Linda Davis and Denise Spangler voted to ask him to reconsider.

Members Ovita Thornton and Vernon Payne were at a Georgia School Boards Association meeting, the story says.

Board member Linda Davis said she intends to have the book removed from the seventh grade reading list. According to the newspaper story, the parents said one paragraph is so offensive it outweighs any educational value the book has.