Zeeland Sees Backlash Against
Harry Potter Restrictions
Parents in Zeeland, Michigan, have filed several written complaints against an order from school superintendent Gary Feenstra that requires parental permission for students to check out J. K. Rowling’s popular Harry Potter series from local school libraries.
Mary Ockerse, a Zeeland resident with children at two local elementary schools, sent a letter to New Groningen Principal James Schoettle, with copies to Feenstra and Zeeland Curriculum Director Chris Guimond-Cairns. According to the March 2 Holland Sentinel, she asked that Feenstra’s executive order be reversed and a review committee of parents and teachers be created to review the books’ suitability for schoolchildren. Ockerse has also volunteered to be a local contact person for those opposing restrictions.
Feenstra responded by saying, “We can’t predict what the eventual outcome will be, but it will be thoroughly researched,” and that in the meantime, the order will stand. Several other parents have filed complaints with Zeeland schools, and the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression has created a supportive Web site.
Posted March 13, 2000.
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