Conestoga Valley board rejects Gothic fiction elective after parent concerns

The Conestoga Valley School District Board of School Directors voted down a motion to approve a proposed high-school elective titled Gothic Fiction & Literature following an extended public and board discussion about appropriate media, age limits and syllabus detail.

Parent Lisa Bartel addressed the board during public comment in support of the course, saying parental permission and teacher judgment should guide use of mature-rated material: "I would like to speak in support of agenda item 6D the proposed gothic fiction literature course," she said, adding that an R rating "does not make a film automatically inappropriate for teenagers." Bartel urged the board not to substitute its judgment for educators and to allow opt-in measures for parents.

Administrators and department staff described options to limit exposure — including restricting the course to 11th and 12th graders and eliminating R-/MA-rated films — and said many proposed film viewings would be limited to short clips used for literary analysis rather than full-length screenings. "We can offer it to 11th and 12th grade as an elective," an administrator said, noting the course could be delivered with a syllabus that provides alternatives and parental permission forms.

Several board members raised concerns about the elective’s focus on horror and violent content and about whether the proposal included sufficient syllabus detail and curricular justification. One member said the district should avoid "glorifying violence" and asked for clearer learning objectives and alternative materials for students whose parents objected.

A motion to approve the course with the administration’s suggested edits — including limiting enrollment to juniors and seniors and removing R-/MA-rated media — was brought to a roll-call vote and failed. The board did not adopt the course; administrators said they would return with revised materials if the teacher and department reframe the syllabus and offer stronger curricular rationale and family-notification procedures.

The board’s discussion also reiterated the district’s process distinction between approving a course framework (the board’s responsibility) and approving specific instructional materials, which are handled through the district’s materials-review policies and teacher-level procedures. Board members said they expect any future resubmission to include a clear syllabus, parent-communication plan and alternatives for students whose families opt out.

The board adjourned its discussion of this item and moved on to other business. The Gothic fiction proposal may be revised and reconsidered at a future meeting.