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Alabama School Board Retains
Catcher in the Rye

The oft-challenged J. D. Salinger classic Catcher in the Rye narrowly escaped being banned from the Limestone County (Ala.) School District March 13, when the school board voted 4-3 to retain the book in high-school-library collections districtwide. Their decision overrode the objections of Elkmont High School parent Mike Taylor, who told the board, “The Lord’s name is taken in vain” throughout the book, according to the March 14 Huntsville Times.

Taylor had support from board member Joel Glaze, who declared the school system is “teaching debauchery,” noting that the nearby Athens Bible School library did not own Catcher. Agreeing that some of the language was “extremely offensive,” East Limestone High School student Chris England asked board members to “Please look past the words.”

That same night, the board also learned that a East Limestone High School parent had challenged Carolyn Coman’s Tell Me Everything because of its use of profanities. Limestone County Superintendent of Education Les Bivens recommended that the board retain that title too.

Posted March 20, 2000.

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