Suggests four steps schools can take to defuse censorship controversies. (DD)

The author considers the 1974 Kanawha County textbook censorship controversy as an attempt by fundamentalist parents to banish "alien" moral influences from the schools and to strengthen community control over learning. He focuses on the role and views of school board member Alice Moore, a leading spokesperson of the fundamentalists.…

Written school board policies can demonstrate that boards welcome ideas from the people, that there are proper procedures for getting a hearing on complaints, and that staff and curriculum will be protected from pressure. The sample school board policies, administrative rules, and information statements in this kit are intended to facilitate the…

This review of current legal practices with respect to censorship in the areas of obscenity and pornography contains a history of anti-obscenity legislation; a review of the efforts of the United States Supreme Court and lower courts to define obscenity; a discussion of publisher Larry Flynt's battle against the "community standards"…

Majority control of schooling undercuts the freedoms of expression and belief which are central to the First Amendment and to the political health of our society. In education, First Amendment rights can only be guaranteed insofar as choice is actually available to dissenting families. However, battles over public orthodoxy are observable in…

Recommends the following considerations for teachers who must cope with censorship in public schools: (1) clarify professional role, (2) keep community aware of curricular goals and content, (3) develop clear selection policies for materials and rationales for using controversial materials, (4) handle complaints with carefully constructed…