Tennessee school board's removal of Holocaust book 'Maus' draws international attention

A Tennessee school board's decision to remove Pulitzer Prize-winning book "Maus" from its curriculum has drawn international attention, including coverage from CNN, BBC and Times of Israel.

The McMinn County School Board voted 10-0 to remove the book in a Jan. 10 meeting, citing concerns over "rough" language and a nude drawing of a woman, according to meeting minutes posted to the district website. The book was part of its eighth-grade English language arts curriculum.

The move came after a discussion among board members and instructional supervisors about the book's content and how best to teach students about the Holocaust. Arguments largely hinged on what is age appropriate and what reflects the values of the district and the community.

'MAUS' AUTHOR SPEAKS: Art Spiegelman speaks out on Tennessee school board's decision to remove 'Maus'

'MAUS' REMOVED: What we know about the removal of Holocaust book 'Maus' by a Tennessee school board

The book, written by comic artist Art Spiegelman, is a graphic novel that tells the story of his Jewish parents living in 1940s Poland. It follows them through their internment in Auschwitz. Nazis are portrayed as cats, while Jewish people are shown as mice. The novel also includes conversations between Spiegelman and his elderly father as he convinces him to tell his story.

The book was published in 1986, and Spiegelman was awarded a Pulitzer for it in 1992.

"The values of the county are understood," McMinn County Director of Schools Lee Parkison said during the meeting. "There is some rough, objectionable language in this book."

SOCIAL MEDIA BACKLASH: Defense of 'Maus' erupts online after McMinn County schools remove it from curriculum

School board debates 'Maus' removal, defends decision

Eight "curse words" and the nude drawing were at the forefront of the concerns over the book, according to the board minutes.

Board member Tony Allman said he was also concerned about scenes in the book where mice were were hung from trees and children were killed. The book also depicts suicide.

"Why does the educational system promote this kind of stuff?" he said. "It is not wise or healthy."

Instructional supervisor Julie Goodin, a former history teacher, said that she believes the book represents the brutality of the Holocaust.

"There is nothing pretty about the Holocaust and for me this was a great way to depict a horrific time in history," she said.

Instructional supervisor Melasawn Knight explained the "very rigorous" selection process by the Tennessee Department of Education for English Language Arts curriculum.

Knight also pointed out that she taught several books with things like vulgar language and violence as a teacher, including "Bridge to Terabithia," "The Whipping Boy" and "To Kill a Mockingbird."

While the board members and leaders maintained the importance of teaching the Holocaust, a few expressed concern over the state's approval of "Maus" and what is age-appropriate.

"What do we do to vet it and make sure it meets the standard that we want to present to our community and our children?" board member Rob Shamblin said.

The school board discussed redacting the parts of the book in question and reaching out to the author on what was allowed. Ultimately, copyright concerns prevailed and the board voted to remove the book and search for an alternative.

The school board released a statement Thursday afternoon defending its decision, citing the "unnecessary use of profanity and nudity and its depiction of violence and suicide" in the book.

"Taken as a whole, the Board felt this work was simply too adult-oriented for use in our schools," part of the statement read.

Here is the full statement from the school board:

'Maus' author, leaders weigh in on school board decision

Spiegelman told The Tennessean on Thursday that he thinks the board's decision is "absurd," but that it's also not the first time "Maus" has been the subject of controversy.

He sees the decision as part of a much larger picture of often polarizing debates over things like critical race theory, oppression and slavery. He said he's alarmed by school boards banning books nationwide.

"This is not about left versus right," he said. "This is about a culture war that's gotten totally out of control."

When he first created "Maus," which originally ran in his comic anthology RAW in 1980 and was later adapted into a book, he never anticipated it would be used in schools.

"I made it when there was no such thing as a graphic novel," he said. "I was doing that to teach myself and share with others."

He said he's happy that the book has "an afterlife" as a teaching tool. He sees it as something that can spark conversations and deeper understanding about things like genocide and oppression.

"It's a book that breaks through in a way that others can't," he said. "It allows an entry point for people. I just don't want it to be boxed in as only about the Holocaust or only about the Jews."

As news spread about the school board's decision, the US Holocaust Museum posted about "Maus" on Twitter Wednesday.

"Maus has played a vital role in educating about the Holocaust through sharing detailed and personal experiences of victims and survivors," the post read. "On the eve of International #HolocaustRemembranceDay, it is more important than ever for students to learn this history. Teaching about the Holocaust using books like Maus can inspire students to think critically about the past and their own roles and responsibilities today."

Michael Dzik, who is the director of the Jewish Federation in Chattanooga, said he news of the school board’s decision reached him Wednesday night as a viral tweet made its rounds on social media.

“I feel they’ve made a terrible mistake,” Dzik said. “Taking educational opportunities off the curriculum is a problem.”

He pointed to a growing lack of knowledge about the Holocaust in young people. In 2020, a survey revealed that nearly two-thirds of Millennials and Gen Z don’t know that 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust. Additionally, almost half were not able to name a single concentration camp and 15% thought holding neo-Nazi views was acceptable. The survey demonstrated wide gaps in knowledge of the genocide.

Dzik, who also has a degree in education, said he hopes to connect with the school board to share ideas and discuss Holocaust education for students.

Congressman Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) released a statement Thursday condemning the board's decision, calling it reminiscent of the Scopes Monkey Trial. The 1925 trial centered on young high school teacher John Thomas Scopes, who was accused of violating state law by teaching evolution.

“The unanimous decision of the McMinn County School Board to ban the graphic novel Maus from its curriculum is another unfortunate and embarrassing example of close-mindedness," Cohen said in a statement. "It’s also censorship and typical of a trend we’re seeing around the country of right-wing politicians attempting to shield themselves from the painful truths of history. It appears the subject matter of Maus is as concerning as its use of mild profanity and a single instance of nudity."

Cohen, who is Jewish, helped create the Tennessee Holocaust Commission and has been an advocate for Holocaust education in schools and other institutions.

“Art Spiegelman’s novel opens minds to the history of the Nazi genocide we’re remembering on today’s anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps in 1945," Cohen said. "I look forward to seeing the school board decision reversed.”

'Walk Two Moons' recommended for removal in another TN school district

Elsewhere in Tennessee, a Williamson County Schools committee recommended the removal of the book "Walk Two Moons" by Sharon Creech from its elementary school curriculum. It cited "objectionable content" and "emotionally weighted topics" that may not be suitable for children. The local chapter of Moms for Liberty initially submitted a list of 31 books in question.

The committee did not recommend removal of most of the other books, but flagged seven for "instructional adjustments," including: "Sea Horse: The Shyest Fish in the Sea by Christine Butterworth; "Feelings" by Aliki; "Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation" by Duncan Tonatiuh; "Love that Dog" by Sharon Creech; "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen; "George v. George: The American Revolution as Seen from Both Sides" by Rosalyn Schanzer; and "The River Between Us" by Richard Peck.

Both decisions come as schools across the nation grapple with increasingly vocal parent concerns about topics taught in the classroom and the role these adults should have in choosing what children are taught.

Find reporter Rachel Wegner at rawegner@tennessean.com or on Twitter @rachelannwegner.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee school board's removal of Holocaust book 'Maus' causes stir