An Arizona mother was shocked when her son handed her his biology textbook labeled with an anti-abortion sticker.
Suzanne Young, a New York Times best-selling author of young adult novels, tweeted a photo of the sticker placed on her son's book by the Gilbert Public School District on Wednesday.
Arizona law states: "In view of the state's strong interest in promoting childbirth and adoption over elective abortion, no school district or charter school in this state may allow any presentation during instructional time or furnish any materials to pupils as part of any instruction that does not give preference, encouragement and support to childbirth and adoption as preferred options to elective abortion."
Young, however, said the label is inappropriate and misleading.
“The public school district has taken an educational text and used it to teach morality,” Young told BuzzFeed. “It assumes that all students have supportive parents to talk to and shuts down further discussion. It shames and isolates girls before supplying them with information and biological facts.”
Last year, Gilbert Public Schools voted, with the backing of a conservative religious group, to edit the Campbell Biology: Concepts & Connections (Seventh Edition) textbook because it includes a chapter "that discusses abstinence, birth-control methods, tubal ligations and vasectomies, and drugs that can induce abortion," according to The Arizona Republic.
Superintendent Dr. Christina M. Kishimoto defended both moves to Cosmopolitan.
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I worked closely with the Governing Board to provide a solution to last year's matter regarding the District's biology books. The board and I have full confidence in our teachers and because we trust the way our teachers instruct, we agreed that the stickers on the back cover are the best course of action. We are pleased with the collaboration and completion of this matter.