[ViaElectronicMail]

June5,2018

ElizabethC.JewettSuperintendent–WatchungHillsRegionalHighSchool108StirlingRoadWarren,NJ07059

DearSuperintendentJewett,

Ourcoalitionofadvocatesforfreedomofexpressionineducationisconcernedbyreportsthatthewidelyacclaimedgraphicnovel,FunHome:AFamilyTragicomic,byAlisonBechdelhasbeenchallengedinyourdistrict.

Weunderstandthatthebook–whichwasrecentlyaddedtoyour12thgradecurriculumafteratwo-yearreview–containsillustrationsthatsomeparentshaveobjectedto,promptingareviewperWatchungHillsDistrictPolicy2240.

Wewritetoofferoursupportasyouperformthisreview.Weurgeyoutobaseyourdecisionsonpedagogicalmotives,ratherthanyieldingtoideologicallymotivatedpressuresfromsomegroupsorparents.

Ourlegalsystemrecognizesimages,likewords,assymbolicexpressionprotectedbytheFirstAmendment.RemovingFunHomesimplybecausesomeparentsdislikeafewillustrationsinthebookwouldbeconstitutionallysuspect.SeeMonteirov.TempeUnionHighSchoolDistrict(9thCir.1998)(recognizingtheFirstAmendmentrightofstudentstoreadbooksselectedfortheir“legitimateeducationalvalue,”evenifoffensivetosomeparentsandstudents).Rather,theSupremeCourthassaidthatpublicschoolsshouldbasecurriculardecisionsonpedagogicalreasoning,nottosatisfyan“officiallyprescribedorthodoxy.”SeeBoardofEducationv.PICO(1982).

Graphicnovelscombinevisualartwithliteraryandcinematictechniquesforeducationallyrichstorytelling.AlisonBechdel’sFunHomeisanessentialtextthathasbeenrecognizedwithsignificantliteraryawards.Thebookhasbeenheraldedwithintheliteraryandartscommunityas“apioneeringwork”inthecomicsandmemoirgenres.(NewYorkTimesSundayBookReview).TheinspirationalnovelchroniclesBechdel’sreal-lifestrugglesofsexualidentity,emotionalabuseanddomesticstrifewhilegrowingupinruralPennsylvaniawithaclosetedgayfather.Bechdel’smemoirisresonantwithmanyyouthexperiencesandoffersteenreadersasafeplacetoexaminequestionsrelatedtopersonalidentity,familyrelationships,andtheneedtofacethetruthintheirownlives.

Whilethebookdoescontainafewimagesthatsomemayfindsexuallyexplicit,theseimagesareanintegralpartofthelargernarrative.BooklisthasrecommendedFunHomeforyoungadultreaders,notingthatthe“theveryfewincidentalsexscenes”are“non-prurient”and

A project of the National Coalition Against Censorship CO-SPONSORED BY

American Booksellers for Free Expression

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

that“thefamilystoryringsutterlyandmovinglytrue.”TheComicBookLegalDefenseFundhasproducedadiscussionguidetoaidteachersinmoderatingdiscussionsonthesequestionsandBechdel’suseofillustration.Wehopeyourteacherswillfindtheguide(attached)useful.

SomeparentsmaystillfindtheirchildrenarenotyetmatureenoughtoappreciatetheliteraryandartisticvalueofFunHome.Weencourageyoutoofferthemalternativeassignments,ratherthanremovingFunHomefromthecurriculumandtherebydenyingallstudentstheopportunitytoreadandlearnfromitspages.

WehopethatyourreviewcommitteewillconsiderandprioritizeeducationalqualitiesovertheideologicalobjectionsofsomeparentsandkeepFunHomeinthe12thGradecurriculum.

Pleasedonothesitatetocontactusforfurtherguidance.Thankyou.

Sincerely,

ChrisFinan,ExecutiveDirector CharlesBrownstein,ExecutiveDirectorNationalCoalitionAgainstCensorship ComicBookLegalDefenseFund

MillieDavis,Director DavidGrogan,DirectorIntellectualFreedomCenter AmericanBooksellersforFreeExpressionNationalCouncilofTeachersofEnglish

JamesLaRue,DirectorAmericanLibraryAssociation’sOfficeforIntellectualFreedom