Petition Launched to Reinstate ‘Wallflower’ at Hadley JHS

A blog and petition have been launched protesting the Glen Ellyn School District 41 Board’s decision to remove the Stephen Chbosky novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” from Hadley Junior High School and urging the Board to reconsider and reinstate the book.

The petition reads:

“This ban deprives students of the chance to think for themselves, confront difficult subjects they are already facing in real life, and enjoy a book that has inspired thousands of students…

“Even those who are not actively confronting the difficult issues brought up in the book can learn valuable lessons from its characters and situations. Books help young people learn about our world and deal with the uncomfortable, complex, dark–and yes, sexual–realities of that world. 

“There is a place for morality tales and teaching parables, but by the time students reach middle school, they are confronting the fact that the world is not solely populated by good guys and bad guys or filled only with clearly defined, ethical and unethical choices. Restricting them to books that conform to (extremely subjective) societal values and ideals will not teach children to think for themselves.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, the petition, hosted at Change.org, has 43 signatures. 

“I have lived in this community my entire life, graduated from District 41 schools and worked for the district myself,” writes signer Heidi Diebold. “I was taught that this sort of thing was not to be tolerated. I feel that it is a betrayal to education and the pursuit of knowledge.”

The book’s removal was the result of a 4-2 Board vote after a complaint filed by Hadley parents Jen and Brian Bradfield, saying that in reading the book—an independent reading suggestion with debated levels of mature content—“our innocent child has already been tainted,” and was deeply disturbed by the book.

"We can’t even describe to you how hurt we are that this was allowed, or recommended to her," Jen Bradfield previously told the Board.

A letter supporting the Board's decision was also published on Patch on Tuesday.