A dictionary has been banned from classrooms in California after a parent complained it included a definition for oral sex.
School district officials sparked a row among parents by pulling the Merriam-Webster 10th edition dictionary from shelves in classes for nine and 10-year-olds and vowing to search for more provocative words. “It’s just not age-appropriate,” said Menifee Union School District spokeswoman Betti Cadmus. “It’s hard to sit and read the dictionary, but we’ll be looking to find other things of a graphic nature.” She said that other dictionary entries defining human anatomy would probably not be cause for alarm. The move has sharply divided the community in Southern California. Father-of-three Randy Freeman said it’s a “prestigious dictionary” but added that “I also imagine there are words in there of concern.” But the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported that other parents are furious about the ban and are demanding the dictionaries are returned. “Pretty soon the only dictionary in the school will be the Bert and Ernie Dictionary,” said Emanuel Chavez, a father-of-two.
Other books banned in the US schools last year included novels by Nobel prize winner Toni Morrison, Khaled Hosseini and Philip Pullman.
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