LTHS Mom Who Read Steamy Passages Speaks Again

LA GRANGE, IL — The Lyons Township High School parent who read steamy passages from library books during a school board meeting last month spoke again at this week's session.

Later in this week's meeting, a La Grange village trustee spoke out against any effort to ban books at the school. Patch covered the parent's criticism of the books at last month's meeting.

During public comments Monday, La Grange resident Laura Tussing described the passages she read as pornographic. After last month's meeting, she said, Superintendent Brian Waterman called her to discuss her concerns with the two books from which she read the passages.

She said she was told the books were critically acclaimed and that they are part of a wide variety of books available at the school.

"Critically acclaimed and awarded? By whom and which standards?" Tussing asked. "Exactly how wide does this variety go and what are the limits? The books I shared are only what I stumbled upon. There might be others."

She also said she pointed out to the superintendent that the two books in question were "less than well-written." She said he reluctantly agreed and explained that the school was trying to attract teen readers.

"They write to appeal to teenagers to get them to read. In other words, the standard and quality of books is lower to get teens to read. Shouldn't we be raising the standard?" Tussing said.

She said plenty of high-caliber books are available for students to read. She questioned why books with pornographic content are on the school's summer reading list, noting that school policy forbids pornographic, obscene or vulgar material.

Tussing said she was especially troubled that Waterman was unable to call pornographic material what it was — pornographic or at least obscene.

She said the superintendent also told her that her reading of passages from the two books was out of line.

"So then it is pornography," Tussing said. "Why else would I have been out of line? It appears that you're blurring the lines of your own policy or you're blurring the lines of the definition of pornography. Whatever the case, there's no need for it in our schools."

Waterman was at the school board meeting, but did not comment on Tussing's statements. School officials usually refrain from doing so. He could not be reached for immediate comment Thursday.

Also at the meeting, La Grange Trustee Beth Augustine spoke against banning books.

"I am concerned not that people have different opinions about literature, but people think that banning books essentially is the way to go," Augustine said. "While we all might not be comfortable with that content, where do we start or where do we end if we begin banning books again? There's an internet full of things that our kids can easily get a handle on."

She said the school should examine what it offers students, "but let's not starting banning books."