Statement from Superintendent Of Schools Dr. John Fredericksen On Determination On Media Center Book

On Tuesday, Oct. 6, a member of the Wicomico County Council presented Wicomico County Board of Education administration with several photo-copied pages from Dragon Ball: The Monkey King, a book checked out by a 9-year-old Pittsville Elementary and Middle School student. As soon as staff members became aware of a concern about the book, they began the process of removing the book from media center shelves for review. Dragon Ball series books at Pittsville School and Parkside High School were removed from media center shelves for a committee review as required by procedures and policy. A complaint form was later received from a parent.

The Dragon Ball: The Monkey King book was purchased via grant funds by a first-year media specialist (librarian) in the fall of 2006. It was one of the approximately 275 books the media specialist secured that year for the 455-student school. The book had been requested by a student. To expedite the process of acquiring the book, the media specialist went to Barnes & Noble and purchased it along with several other books. There were no warnings on the books and the media specialist and bookstore clerk were unaware at the time that the Dragon Ball series was intended for young adults, while the Dragon Ball Z series (a more edited version by the same author) was intended for all audiences. The media specialist checked the books on the Amazon website at the time and no alerts or other warnings were posted. The book was rated for all audiences by viz.com and was contained on the Scholastic book title list.

This book, like others, was briefly scanned. Nothing unusual or offensive was found, and the book was placed in circulation. The book was checked out nine times in three years by a number of students, with no comments or complaints. There did not appear to be an unusual check out pattern for the book.

The committee met on Oct. 12 to review Dragon Ball: The Monkey King book. The committee members and I have read the book, and several committee members have read other books from the Dragon Ball series that were pulled from media center shelves for review. After review, the committee recommended removal of all books in the Dragon Ball series. The committee is continuing to study the Dragon Ball Z series (intended for all audiences) for further recommendations.

I concur with the committee’s recommendation. It is my determination as superintendent that the protection of Wicomico County Public School students from inappropriate material supersedes any interest that there might be in having this book available in our media centers. I am directing that the books pulled for committee review -- Dragon Ball: The Monkey King and the remainder of the Dragon Ball series (not the Dragon Ball Z series, which is still under review) -- not be returned to our school media centers. These books will not be available in any Wicomico school media center.

This decision does not deny the use of acceptable graphic novels as an available educational tool in the school system. Graphic novels with appropriate content can be a useful tool in encouraging reluctant readers to pick up a book and read.

As a result of this incident, we are instituting more focused and ongoing professional development training on the selection of media materials and additional procedures to handle student requests for media books and resources.

The Wicomico County Public School System regrets the offense caused to the family that submitted a complaint about the book. I urge anyone who has a concern about reading materials brought home from school to contact the school so that the procedures and policies already in place for handling such concerns can be followed and a resolution to the concern can be reached.