An unnamed teacher in Texas was released after allegedly using an unapproved version of Anne Frank’s diary in her eighth-grade class, according to a local report.
“Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adapation,” adapted by Ari Folman and illustrated by David Polonksy, is another version of the diary of Anne Frank, a teenage German girl and Jewish victim of the Holocaust. A section of the graphic novel allegedly shared in class included writing about male and female genitalia, KFDM reported Sept. 14.
“A version of ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’ book that was not approved by the district was read in class,” Mike Canizales, spokesperson for the Hamshire-Fannett Independent School District (ISD), told KFDM. “The teacher was sent home [Wednesday]. There is an active investigation.”
The district sent an email to parents Tuesday, letting them know the book, which officials say had never been approved, would no longer be read in class. (RELATED: Gov. Abbott Signs Legislation To ‘Grant Parents More Rights’ In Their Children’s Education)
“The reading of that content will cease immediately. Your student’s teacher will communicate her apologies to you and your students soon, as she has expressed those apologies to us,” the email read, per KFDM.
Hamshire-Fannett ISD parent Amy Manuel spoke to KFDM about the matter. “I mean it’s bad enough, she’s having them read this for an assignment, but then she also is making them read it aloud and making a little girl talk about feeling each other’s breasts and when she sees a female she goes into ecstasy, that’s not ok,” she said. Manuel’s twin sons reportedly alerted her to the teacher’s alleged assigning of the book.
oh, sorry, here is an excerpt of the semi-fictional Anne Frank graphic novel. I certainly don’t recall this in the diary pic.twitter.com/pkcz6RtlaP
— MayoMonkey 🐰 (@MayoMonkeyredux) September 20, 2023
“Her diary is the first encounter many people have with the history of Nazi Germany’s attempt to murder all the Jews of Europe during World War II,” according to the Holocaust Encyclopedia’s biography on Anne Frank.
“This graphic edition remains faithful to the original, while the stunning illustrations interpret and add layers of visual meaning and immediacy to this classic work of Holocaust literature,” the description of the adapted novel states on Amazon’s website.
Officials in the school district said the adaptation of Frank’s diary had never been approved, according to KFDM. However, it was on the reading list sent to parents at the beginning of the school year, the outlet reported.
“The District is currently in the process of posting the position to secure a high-quality, full-time teacher as quickly as possible,” Canizales wrote in a statement to the community shared with the Daily Caller. “During this period of transition, our administrators and curriculum team will provide heightened support and monitoring in the reading class to ensure continuity in instruction.”
The novel has been banned from numerous schools, such as a Florida high school, after a chapter of the Moms for Liberty advocacy group argued it violated state standards for teaching the Holocaust accurately, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
The novel was also removed from Dallas-Fort Worth’s Keller Independent School District in Texas, according to The Guardian. Texas has more banned books than any other state, according to the Dallas Observer, with over 430 books reportedly banned in schools.