BY TOM FONTANA
Correspondent

A book that a parent found “filled with obscene thoughts, words and actions” will remain in the Mountain View Jr.-Sr. High School library.

In a written challenge against the book submitted to Mountain View acting superintendent Karen Voigt last November, Lisa Schmidt, New Milford, stated that “The Beet Fields” by Gary Paulsen is “pervasively vulgar and educationally unsuitable.”

“Its profanity violates our school policy,” she wrote. “A book which fills the reader’s mind with vulgarity has no place in the education of students.”

In addition to what Schmidt listed as ‘foul language’ and ‘sexually explicit’ passages in The Beet Fields, she accused the book of depicting ‘disrespect for women, drinking alcohol while driving, unprotected sex outside of marriage, and implied incest.’

Schmidt discovered the book when her son brought it home from the school library. The book’s story is about a 16-year-old boy who runs away from his alcoholic mother to work in beet fields in North Dakota, where he experiences both negative and positive life lessons.

Schmidt’s formal complaint against the book remaining in the library was reviewed by the District Materials Review Committee on Dec. 16. According to Voigt, the committee of faculty, parents and administrators voted 9 to 1 for the book to remain available without restrictions to all students in grade seven through 12.

A final decision on the book’s fate was brought for a vote by the school board at its meeting on Monday night, Feb. 16.

Before the vote, Schmidt spoke to the board.

“I hope you all read the book and were as disgusted by its contents as I was,” she stated. “I hope you could never imagine reading that book out loud to your children or grandchildren. And I hope you disagree with the committee’s decision to allow it to remain on the shelf.”

However, by unanimous vote, the directors decided to retain the book in the library, available to all secondary grade students without restrictions. Voigt said the book has been in the library for more than eight years and has only been taken out twice in that time. The book is not in the elementary school library.

Board members who defended their decision thanked Schmidt for her concern, but felt that because the book is not required reading it should remain the choice of students and their parents whether or not to read the book.

“I would certainly never vote to force the book on children,” director Roy Twining explained. “But just because one parent objects to the book doesn’t mean we have the right to keep other parents from allowing it to be read by their children.”

Board president Thomas Stoddard added, “I am dismayed by the type of language we are hearing today. As a society we have degenerated to the lowest standard of decency. I don’t know what we can do about it.”

High school principal Robert Presley stated that high school librarian Peter Regeski “knows everything that goes in and out of the library,” and would “use his judgment as to the maturity level of a student who wants to take out the book,” and try to redirect them to choose a different book.

“But what if the student still wants to take out The Beet Fields?” Schmidt asked.

“Mr. Regeski will try to suggest another book,” Presley repeated.