Methuen committee hears public on challenged Alexie novel, opt-out process and bathroom access

METHUEN, Mass. — Public speakers and school committee members spent the Oct. 14 Methuen School Committee meeting debating the use of Sherman Alexie’s novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part‑Time Indian in 10th‑grade classes and asking how the district handles parental opt‑outs and student access to single‑stall restrooms.

The discussion followed a parent complaint that a passage in the book had been read aloud in class and that families had not been offered an opt‑out or an alternative assignment in advance. Committee Member Kristin Maxwell asked the superintendent to place the topic on the agenda; the committee then discussed both the curriculum question and a separate parental concern that a male student had been observed in a girls’ restroom.

Why it matters: Speakers and members said the dispute touches on classroom oversight, parental notification practices and student privacy. Several speakers warned that even discussing removal could chill teachers and invite broader book challenges; others said families should be able to exempt children from material they find objectionable and to have workable alternatives.

Public comment: Dozens of residents addressed the committee. Heather Plunkett, identifying herself as a Methuen resident and the mother of a recent graduate and a current senior, said she read the book before the meeting and that a short excerpt posted online had been taken out of context. “It was just a silly offhand comment made by a teenage boy written as a thought in a diary,” she said, adding that families who object to specific material can and should be offered alternative assignments.

Several speakers — including teachers and the district librarian who provided written comments — urged the committee to preserve access to the book. English teacher Kristen De Gloria and librarian Krista McLeod described the novel’s value for discussing poverty, identity, grief and hope, and recommended that parents use the opt‑out process when needed. “If a parent is worried about their child reading a book, I suggest they read it too with their children,” McLeod said.

Other public speakers said the committee’s discussion of bathroom access risked singling out transgender students and stigmatizing them. Methuen resident Maggie Lefebvre cited state law, saying, “No student shall be discriminated against on the basis of gender identity,” and urged the committee to avoid policies that would make transgender students less safe. Multiple commenters cited suicide‑risk statistics for transgender and nonbinary youth and urged the committee to consider the mental‑health impacts of exclusionary policies.

Administration response and process issues: Superintendent Dr. Quang and department staff told the committee the novel has been an option in the 10th‑grade curriculum for more than a decade and that teachers include a syllabus and an English department expectations document in classes. The district’s written response, presented at the meeting, said teachers may select the text and that the English department “encourages any parent who prefers that his or her child not be assigned these works to discuss with the teacher who may suggest an alternative assignment.”

On the opt‑out question, legal counsel and staff pointed to two separate legal references repeatedly cited during the meeting: Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, Section 32A, which requires parental notification and an opt‑out for curriculum that primarily involves human sexuality instruction, and Chapter 76, Section 5, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity. District counsel said the opt‑out requirement in 32A applies where the curriculum “primarily involves” human sexuality; incidental or contextual references in a broader literary work are treated differently and do not automatically trigger a universal opt‑out notice. The committee’s public packet included those legal citations and related guidance.

Committee debate and next steps: Members disagreed about whether the administration had followed best practices for notification. Maxwell said a parent should not have to raise a complaint before an alternative is offered and that the district should clarify opt‑out procedures. Other members said teachers typically provide alternatives when parents raise concerns and warned that adding a blanket opt‑out requirement for any book with even incidental content would be unworkable.

Several committee members urged greater outreach and clearer communication: confirm that syllabi are distributed and that parents can contact teachers, ensure alternatives are available and confirm locations and access rules for single‑stall restrooms. Maxwell asked for concrete answers about how many single‑stall restrooms exist in each school, whether students know they can use them and whether using a single‑stall restroom causes students to miss class time.

What was not decided: The committee did not ban the book, and members repeatedly stated they were not seeking a ban. No policy changes were adopted at the Oct. 14 meeting; several members asked the administration to provide follow‑up information about opt‑out practices, how the book is presented in syllabi, and the distribution of single‑stall restrooms.

Quotes from the meeting: • Heather Plunkett, Methuen resident and parent: “I read the novel. I read it last night … When looking at the pages posted on Facebook and putting them in context, you can clearly see there's nothing inappropriate about this book.” • Maggie Lefebvre, public commenter: “No student shall be discriminated against on the basis of gender identity.” • Committee Member Kristin Maxwell: “The parent brought this item to me saying that her child was uncomfortable…We can't even say Merry Christmas in our schools. But when it comes to book concerns, my questions were—was an opt‑out form given to parents?”

What to watch for: The committee asked the administration for written follow‑ups on (1) which syllabi the title appears on, (2) what opt‑out notices (if any) were provided before the excerpt was read in class, (3) the number and location of single‑stall restrooms in each school and (4) whether the district will provide clearer opt‑out instructions to families.