Problems continue to mount for the Republic School District and the latest comes in the form of a letter authored by nine national groups. Unlike the ongoing buzz over the double rape of  a student, this one focuses on the school board’s decision to ban books.
In this case,  Kurt Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” and “Twenty Boy Summer” by Sarah Ockler.
At the heart of the matter is the manner in which the books were removed after Republic resident Wes Scroggins, who has no children in the district, complained that the books were not in keeping with the teachings of the Bible.
An Aug. 18 letter to Superintendent Vern Minor — signed by top officials from the organizations — states that the “decision to remove the two books cannot be justified.” The seven current board members were copied on the letter.
“We urge you to provide students with an education that exposes them to challenging materials and diverse ideas and beliefs, that prepares them to make their
own judgments, and that teaches them to respect the opinions of others,” wrote the officials including Joan Bertin, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship. “That is at the core of our system.”The ACLU will be handling a potential suit of the district if it fails to respond favorably.

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