Franklin Regional 'pauses' teaching of novel about Iranian Revolution after complaints

Franklin Regional School District is “pausing” use of a novel in a freshman honors English course after school board members asked administrators to review its use amid concerns from some residents in the district.

“Persepolis,” Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel about growing up as a 10-year-old girl amidst the Iranian Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, was approved nearly a year ago as part of the curriculum for the ninth grade honors English class at Franklin Regional Senior High School.

After passing through the district’s curriculum committee, the award-winning novel was part of a 30-day public curriculum display for any district parent who wanted to know more about it, prior to its approval by the school board.

That’s why the parents of several freshman honors English students wanted to know why school officials suddenly chose to pause the teaching of the book, pending what Superintendent Gennaro Piraino said would be a “thorough review” by the curriculum committee.

Piraino said several board members, including some on the curriculum committee, reached out to administrators after receiving calls and emails from district residents about the book.

“It was a couple days before the book was to be taught,” Piraino told the Trib. “So the committee said they’d like to learn some more about this book, as well as the context in which it’s being taught. And as the administration, our job is to give them options. They felt it was best to pause until they can look more closely at it.”

Parent Sarah Hough said she did not understand how a few parent complaints could disrupt an element of the curriculum that already had been approved.

“Our district has a review process, and this book passed it,” she said. “How much time did our teachers spend developing curriculum for this book before it was approved? Any parent who objected to this was given an opportunity to opt out and use an alternate text. Is this how the curriculum will be dealt with going forward?”

The book is not new to being pulled from high school curricula. The City of Chicago School District took the book out of classrooms in 2013 and 2016, coming under heavy criticism both times.

“We all read it,” Franklin Regional student Colin Burch said of himself and several classmates. “Your fears regarding this book are unfounded.”

Burch said the story includes a scene where a woman recounts an experience during which she is told she deserves to be raped.

“I’d posit this in contrast to the beginning of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ where someone casually refers to raping some housemaids,” Burch said. “No one is calling up and complaining about that.”

Joseph Hedden of Murrysville, parent of a freshman student, said he was disappointed to have learned via social media about the book being pulled.

“I’m disappointed at the lack of transparency,” Hedden said.

School board members and administrators did not comment at Monday’s meeting on the book being pulled.

“In effect, we’re banning this novel without any public input or board voting,” parent Len Culley said. “Why are those who oppose the novel allowed to dictate the curriculum after it was already approved?”

Piraino told the Trib: “The curriculum committee obviously doesn’t closely evaluate every book that’s being read. It’s not their job to write the curriculum. But it is their job to ultimately approve it.”

Kristy Trautman, whose daughter is a freshman honors English student, felt school officials were not giving students enough credit.

“The purpose of public education is to expose our kids to a variety of perspectives, to think critically about what they hear, form their own opinions and defend them,” Trautman said. “Our students are up to the task.”

Susan Bayne of Murrysville said that the controversy over “Persepolis” is certainly not leading to fewer readers.

“Whoever was trying to stop this from being book from being read, that has certainly increased the interest in it,” Bayne said.

The curriculum committee meets next at 5 p.m. March 16 in the district’s administrative offices, 3210 School Road in Murrysville.