School bans dictionary

[Diabeetus]

A parent complained about it containing the term "oral sex" so the school pulled it. It looks like a First Amendment battle will ensue.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/755936--u-s-school-bans-the-dictionary?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

[WaylonJennings]

I finally confirmed what sex actually was by looking it up in an encyclopedia in my fourth or fifth grade classroom. True story. I had a guilty conscience for days.

 

[Oggiedoggie]

The school district down here wiped all references to oral sex out of the libraries 'cause they were afraid that it might lead to dancin'.

 

[YankeeFan]

A parent complained about it containing the term "oral sex" so the school pulled it. It looks like a First Amendment battle will ensue.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/755936--u-s-school-bans-the-dictionary?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Insane. I'd love to see the dictionary these people would approve. How long would it be? A few pages?

Here's the definition: “oral stimulation of the genitals”. Wow! Titillating. Kids are going to be running to the bathroom to take care of themselves after reading that.

 

[WaylonJennings]

A parent complained about it containing the term "oral sex" so the school pulled it. It looks like a First Amendment battle will ensue.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/755936--u-s-school-bans-the-dictionary?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Insane. I'd love to see the dictionary these people would approve. How long would it be? A few pages?

Here's the definition: “oral stimulation of the genitals”. Wow! Titillating. Kids are going to be running to the bathroom to take care of themselves after reading that.

The ban is silly.

But is it illegal?

 

[LongTimeListener]

I finally confirmed what sex actually was by looking it up in an encyclopedia in my fourth or fifth grade classroom. True story. I had a guilty conscience for days.

I'll never forget the day I stumbled across "vulva." I don't know what I could have been looking up -- vulcanize? -- but I went racing through the dictionary that night. I always did have a good vocabulary.

 

[WaylonJennings]

I finally confirmed what sex actually was by looking it up in an encyclopedia in my fourth or fifth grade classroom. True story. I had a guilty conscience for days.

I'll never forget the day I stumbled across "vulva." I don't know what I could have been looking up -- vulcanize? -- but I went racing through the dictionary that night. I always did have a good vocabulary.

"Mulva?"

 

[YankeeFan]

A parent complained about it containing the term "oral sex" so the school pulled it. It looks like a First Amendment battle will ensue.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/755936--u-s-school-bans-the-dictionary?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Insane. I'd love to see the dictionary these people would approve. How long would it be? A few pages?

Here's the definition: “oral stimulation of the genitals”. Wow! Titillating. Kids are going to be running to the bathroom to take care of themselves after reading that.

The ban is silly.

But is it illegal?

You tell me.

Communities should be able to set standards and keep out clearly graphic materials.

By any standard the Merriam-Webster dictionary should be available. Besides, it's a legitimate tool for learning.

I wonder how the internet filters work at this -- and other schools. Obviously you'd want to ban porn sites, but are they going to block dictionary.com too?

 

[KYSportsWriter]

How is a dictionary 'clearly graphic?'

???

 

[YankeeFan]

How is a dictionary 'clearly graphic?'

???

Where did I argue that?

 

[WaylonJennings]

A parent complained about it containing the term "oral sex" so the school pulled it. It looks like a First Amendment battle will ensue.

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/755936--u-s-school-bans-the-dictionary?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Insane. I'd love to see the dictionary these people would approve. How long would it be? A few pages?

Here's the definition: “oral stimulation of the genitals”. Wow! Titillating. Kids are going to be running to the bathroom to take care of themselves after reading that.

The ban is silly.

But is it illegal?

You tell me.

Yeah, I don't know. I was asking rhetorically. I'm not completely familiar with how the First Amendment applies to schools. I know that it's not absolute - for example, you wouldn't be allowed to just march into a classroom and burn your draft card while screaming that it was your First Amendment right. That's an extreme example, but the larger point it illustrates stands.

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

I feel sorry for that woman's son.

And her husband.

 

[WaylonJennings]

Here's a quote from Tinker v. Des Moines School District: "First Amendment rights ... are available to teachers and students. It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate. ... On the other hand, the Court has repeatedly emphasized the need for affirming the comprehensive authority of the States and of school officials, consistent with fundamental constitutional safeguards, to prescribe and control conduct in its schools."

Weighing those competing interests, I doubt that a school is required to carry any books. I'm sure it has discretion to toss them for any reason or no reason. They do it every day when making library orders and so forth or stocking classroom shelves. I can't recognize any First Amendment issues here. Just protected silliness.

 

[spnited]

This is not silly, it is moronic.


As for the husband of the complaining mother, his definition of oral sex is "what I'm never gonna get."

 

[Brooklyn Bridge]

Its not like kids in school today don't know what that is anyway. So by banning the dictionary, it brings more attention to the case/word and makes more kids want to look it up.

Is this along the lines of School disctricts banning Huckleberry Finn because of the use of the "N" word? That's a bit shortsighted as well.

 

[nmmetsfan]

Has it really come to this? Is there anything more absurd?

 

[Bob Cook]

If it weren't for looking up curse words, I doubt anyone in my sixth grade class would have ever opened a dictionary.

Next to ban: calculator, because you can spell out 7734 and 5138008 and 58008. But it's OK, under our Supreme Court, if you spell out 71077345.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Its not like kids in school today don't know what that is anyway. So by banning the dictionary, it brings more attention to the case/word and makes more kids want to look it up.

Is this along the lines of School disctricts banning Huckleberry Finn because of the use of the "N" word? That's a bit shortsighted as well.

The Huck Finn ban, I can understand -- not saying I agree with removing one of the greatest books of American literature, but a classroom with one black kid sittig there hearing his classmates' juvenile laughter is without question a hostile environment. I don't think I'd trust every teacher in the district to lead an intelligent discussion or adroitly defuse the topic.

But this is just stupid. The book is just sitting there. It's not going to affect the classroom in the least. Well, OK, now it will, because whatever dictionary replaces it, kids are going to rifle through it looking for dirty words.

It would serve the parents right if the next dictionary defined "shocker."

 

[Ace]

How is a dictionary 'clearly graphic?'

???

Maybe there was a photo with it.

 

[Matt1735]

Maybe if Bill Clinton's dictionary had included the definition... oh nevermind.