Book with 2 pages describing sexual assault sparks uproar
A novel approved for ninthgrade English students has drawn the ire of some residents and board members in the Oley Valley School District.
The book in question is Stephen Chbosky’s 1999 “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” which includes two pages with a graphic depiction of a sexual assault. The remainder of the narrative explains how to react and prevent it from happening again.
The book has been called a blueprint to survival and stresses the importance of having community and friends help navigate through an internal conflict.
The topic was brought up during public comment at Wednesday’s school board meeting by Pike Township resident Edward Trimbur.
Trimbur said he would like better checks and balances when considering books for a public school.
His comments spurred applause from a small group of supporters.
Superintendent Tracy Shank said later that people with no children in the district are coming in to push the morals and values on other people’s children.
Board member Maria Bogdanova Peiffer, who has
recently been under fire for comments critics regard as bigoted, said her daughter picked up the book without her knowledge.
“Is this book properly marked?” she asked.
Shank said books don’t get marked but can be sent back to the library if the parent feels they are inappropriate.
The superintendent said there is also a way in which the system can be alerted that a child is not to take out books at all.
There is also a list of approved materials available for parents to investigate.
“We are a public school, and we respect the rights of every human being,” Shank said.
Shank said the book was approved in 2021.
“The recent curriculum revisions were done in 2021, and two of the three newly elected board members were campaigning for office and attending meetings when the documents were approved,” Shank said.
“It is interesting to note that this group is upset about modern literature reflecting modern time themes, but in their request to turn to the past, they forget that in only 2010 the district was teaching the history of Germany about fascism and Russian history about communism. We eliminated those courses in 2011,” Shank said.
In other public comment, resident Debbie Berry asked board members why they were not offended by a fellow school director’s Facebook posts that she described as anti-American.
“So now you allow anti-American posts?” Berry said.
Berry said later she feels she has been stalked by one of the board members at past meetings and has seen property defaced with racial slurs by defiant students.
Shank said she has had several cases of students being bullied or using racial slurs because they heard the board members had.
In response a police officer is stationed at each meeting going forward.