WPUSD makes final decision to keep controversial book as required reading

Western Placer Unified School District board members decided at Tuesday's school board meeting to uphold a committee's decision to keep the controversial book, "The Hate U Give," as part of the ninth-grade required reading curriculum. "The Hate U Give" was assigned in March at Twelve Bridges High School. It was introduced the year before to Lincoln High School with no known complaints. Since the book's introduction to Twelve Bridges High, parents, students and community members have voiced their concerns about whether it should remain. The book was written by Angie Thomas and inspired by the "Black Lives Matter movement," according to her website. Thomas said she wrote the book as a project in college a few years after the death of Oscar Grant. Grant, a 22-year-old African-American man, was killed early New Year's Day 2009 by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police Officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland. Grant was shot in the head while laying face down. Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, instead of what many said should have been murder. The events were captured on video and went viral on social media. Grant's death sparked protests across the U.S. "The Hate U Give" tells the story of a teenage girl, Starr Carter, who "moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends," according to angiethomas.com. "The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer." The book became an immediate young adult New York Times bestseller and was adapted into a movie shortly after it was published. Because of the book's controversy and mixed responses from the Lincoln community, school district Superintendent Kerry Callahan appointed a committee to make the decision about whether "The Hate U Give" should remain as required reading. The committee was comprised of six current English teachers (three from each high school), each high school's principal, two district administrators and two community members, according to Western Placer Unified School District director of personnel services Michael Maul. The committee met four times between March 30 and May 8. Maul gave a brief synopsis presentation May 16 for how the decision was made. He said the committee was tasked with answering the questions, Does the material support the curriculum? Is the material educationally appropriate? Is the material suitable for the age level? After nearly two months, a decision was made. The motion was unanimously passed Tuesday to keep "The Hate U Give" as required reading for Twelve Bridges High School.