Dive Brief:
- Gilford, Conn., parents are now required to approve every piece of fiction used in classes after a group protested Gilford High School's assignment of "Nineteen Minutes" by Jodi Picoult.
- Parents objected to the use of the Picoult novel because of a sexually explicit passage.
- Prior to the decision, parents were able to opt their kids out of books they didn't approve of.
Dive Insight:
This decision feels extreme and somewhat misguided given the fact that this is a high school. Additionally, while parents may not have felt comfortable with aspects of the novel, they should be able to trust that their schools' educators and administrators will pick appropriate curriculum. This new "opt in" rule eliminates trust and creates an odd tension between school and parent.