PALM BAY, Fla. – Julia Whitehead, the founder of the Kurt Vonnegut museum in Indiana, is requesting a meeting with Brevard County’s Moms for Liberty and Bayside High School in Palm Bay.
Last week Bayside AP English teacher Adam Tritt told News 6 reporter Treasure Roberts he was asked to remove Vonnegut’s “Slaughterhouse-Five” from his classroom and from school libraries.
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Tritt then started a fundraiser to donate books to students outside of school.
“Adam Tritt is a courageous teacher,” Whitehead said.
Vonnegut’s museum is supporting Tritt by offering to send up to a thousand free copies of “Slaughterhouse-Five” to all Bayside students and parents who request one.
Brevard Public Schools said a formal review of the 41 books Moms for Liberty requested to be removed could take over a year.
Moms for Liberty members regularly speak e regular speakers at school board meetings.
Katie Delaney is a former member of the group.
“I don’t know about you all, but I’m not going to read violent, pedophilic pornography with my children,” said Delaney as she addressed board members in May.
Whitehead said “Slaughterhouse-Five” does contain profanity and sexual content but argued the book is age-appropriate for high school students.
“We don’t teach ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’ to 5-year-olds,” Whitehead said. “We shouldn’t be censoring that.”
To receive a free copy of the book, the museum said Bayside High School students and parents should email info@vonnegutlibrary.org.