Over 100 Copies of Hate Speech Filled Novel in MMS Library
After grappling with two hate speech related graffiti incidents earlier this winter, Darien Parents can report that Middlesex Middle School's (MMS) library continues to have over a hundred copies of novels on its shelves that feature hate speech and include age inapprorpiate content.
For example, last year the novel Dear Martin by Nic Stone was one of four books (The Hate U Give, All American Boys and The Art of Being Normal) used for a contemporary fiction unit for 8th graders. There are 112 copies of this book in the Middlesex school library. In addition to depicting underage drinking and marijuana usage, the n-word is used repeatedly in Dear Martin:
Hate speech in books at Middlesex isn't just confined to racial slurs -- it also includes abominable language related to the LGBTQIA+ community as well as persons with disabilities. The novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie contains all three types of hate speech as well as depictions of masturbation, underage drinking, sex between minors, and the glorification of eating disorders. There is one copy available in the Middlesex library.
In a January email to MMS parents and guardians, Superintendent Dr. Alan Addley stated: "We also strongly encourage you to have open, age-appropriate conversations at home with your children about the importance of kindness, inclusivity, and the impact of words." Are the above excerpts from Dear Martin and The Absoultely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian age appropriate texts for students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades? Do these books teach kindness and inclusivity or do they instead seek to divide groups along racial lines using unfair stereotypes? If Dr. Addley is truly concerned about the "impact of words," why does Middlesex have so many copies of books with repulsive hate speech? Do these books reflect positve role models for our children or do they instead glamorize age inappropriate, anti-social, and illegal behaviors?
Concerned about the content readily available to our middle schoolers? Share your thoughts with the Board of Education: