Texas school district: No 'Harry Potter' without parental OK

By The Associated Press

10.06.00

Printer-friendly page

GALVESTON, Texas — The school district at the center of the recent football game prayer debate is now requiring parental permission for students to read Harry Potter novels, which critics say promote witchcraft.

Santa Fe principals are requiring written consent before students can check out any of the four popular books by British author J.K. Rowling.

The policy is an attempt to limit the access students have to books some parents might deem unacceptable, The Galveston County Daily News reported.

"Some parents just don't want their kids reading that," superintendent Richard Ownby said. "If they want to read it, we'll have it. But we'll need parental permission. We don't want to ban it."

A bookseller in nearby Galveston said the action sets a dangerous precedent.

"Do they ask for permission for every book in the library?" asked Jay Clements, owner of Midsummer Books. "That's my concern, that this book is being singled out. When you start setting up obstacles to certain works, you're starting down that road to censorship."

A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision barring student-led prayer before public school football games was the result of a lawsuit filed against the Santa Fe Independent School District.

Santa Fe, about 40 miles southeast of Houston, is largely a Southern Baptist community.

Ownby said he probably would let his own children read the books, the only ones in school libraries that require parental approval.

The Harry Potter series has dominated bestseller lists for two years. Clements says they have torn many young people, including several of his new customers, away from video games and television.

"There is a segment of the population that believes anything that deals with the supernatural that is not Christian is bad," he said.

Clements said parents have no reason to be concerned that their children might change religions just by reading the books.

"I haven't had any kids return as pagans after reading the books," he said.

Related

Popular children's author relates '3 S's' of book censorship
Judy Blume tells First Amendment Center audience that pattern of targeting books comes down to three words: sexuality, swearing and Satan.  10.02.00

Prayer protest drowned out at Texas field where debate began
Meanwhile, some students, parents lead pre-game prayer rallies at other Southern schools; at least one school defies Supreme Court ruling.  09.05.00

Library's 'witchcraft' certificate endorsed religion, group says
Religious-rights organization had accused Florida library of violating separation church, state through discontinued Harry Potter promotion.  09.13.00

Defusing the debate over 'Harry Potter'
By Charles Haynes Unless you live on a remote desert island, by now you know that Harry Potter has worked his magic on millions of children and on a surprising number of adults as well.  08.06.00