Murrieta Valley Principal Responds to Book Controversy

Murrieta Valley High School students who opted out of reading a controversial book will not see their grades affected, the school's principal told Patch Friday.

Principal Renate Jefferson said about five or six students opted out of reading "To the Wedding," by John Berger, after their parents complained it contained mature content and explicit words such as the f-word.

The book was included in the International Baccalaureate English class for juniors this year, and Jefferson said the class just finished the book today.

(The rigourous, specialized International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IB) is intended to give students international exposure to other cultures and world-wide issues. Read more about the IB program here.)

"To The Wedding" is set in Europe. A young French couple engaged to be married learns that the woman, Ninon, contracted AIDS from a prior one-night stand. The story follows them as they decide whether to still go through with the marriage.

At a Murrieta Valley Unified School District board meeting Thursday, one parent whose child opted out expressed concern that his daughter would score lower on her final exam because she would not be able to answer exam questions about the book.

But Jefferson said those students, who read "The Scarlet Letter" in lieu of "To The Wedding," would receive a final exam with questions pertinent to what they read.

"There was some misinformation there," Jefferson said.

According to Jefferson, students were given equal class time to study their respective books. Those who opted out received instruction time in the school library while the others received class time, and vice versa.

"They had exactly the same amount of time," she said.

Jefferson added the book was read last year by juniors in the IB program, and no complaints surfaced. The school is in its second year of offering the program.

However, parents' complaints this year about not being notified in advance of the required reading did spark some changes in how the coursework will be handled in the future, she said.

A site committee convened and came up with several recommendations; removing the book from the program's reading list was not among them.

Instead of being part of the program's junior year curriculum for the program, it will be moved to the end of the senior year--if selected by teachers.

"If a teacher chooses to teach this in the future, then there will definitely be advance notice given to parents," Jefferson said.

Parents who attended Thursday's board meeting, however, demanded that the book be removed completely.

"Mature reading does not have to consist of foul words," said parent Wayne Fontes. "Understand that this is being read by 15- and 16-year-olds.

"If this book is so loved, put it in the school library."