A racial slur appears 219 times in Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and 48 times in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird."
The use of both novels in both classrooms and libraries has been temporarily suspended per the Accomack County Public Schools policy manual.
"We have a committee looking at all of this," said Chris Holland, superintendent. "There's been no recommendation right now.
Holland is referring to the "Public Complaints About Learning Resources" title under the "School-Community Relations" section of the policy manual which outlines that a complaint be filed through form KLB-E entitled "Request for Reconsideration of Learning Resources."
Per the policy, a committee consisting of the principal, the library media specialist, the classroom teacher (if involved), a parent and/or student, and the complainant will convene to review the learning resource and materials will be temporarily suspended pending the committee's determination.
A copy of the Accomack County Public Schools policy manual can be found online here.
Comment: The tragic irony here is both books have powerful messages for youth about racism. Snowflakes' overzealous and myopic approach to injustices is one that seek to remove any and all kinds of discomfort. By doing so, they eliminate the very processes needed to address social problems.