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Del. school district cancels reading list to avoid lesbian-themed novel

Del. school district cancels reading list to avoid lesbian-themed novel

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — A Delaware school district has eliminated a summer reading list for incoming high school freshman over a challenge to the list’s inclusion of book whose main character is gay.

Miseducation-of-Cameron-Post-fullThe Cape Henlopen School Board initially voted to remove the novel “The Miseducation of Cameron Post” by emily m. danforth (the author uses all lower case letters to identify herself) in response to several complaints from parents earlier this summer.

The school board cited profanity as the reason for dropping the book from the list, but many, including danforth, believe the complaints and decision were based on the book’s gay theme, reported WBOC-TV.

“The Miseducation of Cameron Post” is a coming-of-age story about a young girl discovering she is a lesbian.

According to board president Andy Lewis, the book was removed from the list because there was no process to evaluate it after someone complained. He said it was only after that that it was discovered it wasn’t the only novel with curse words in it.

But after it was pointed out that other books on the list had curse in them as well, the board voted to eliminate the entire list itself.

Rob Spicer, the father of a gay Cape Henlopen graduate, said the decision to eliminate the entire reading list rather than follow the challenge procedure was “a cop out.” The board, he said, “abdicated their responsibility, because the heat in the kitchen was too hot for them.”

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