PEORIA, AZ — Some well-known works of literature are now prohibited in Peoria Unified School District lesson plans. The changes come as the district implements a new English curriculum under Governing Board policies.

A viewer emailed ABC15, concerned that the Peoria Unified School District is removing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion materials from the curriculum this school year.

The district confirmed it is implementing curriculum changes.

Peoria Unified now lists three works as “prohibited from use” in its middle school curriculum, with instructions to educators sent out Wednesday to “remove all materials and resources.” Those works are “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave,” by Frederick Douglass, “A Raisin in the Sun,” a novel by Lorraine Hansberry, and “Summer of the Mariposas,” a novel by Guadalupe Garcia McCall.

The memo also instructs educators to modify the use of the picture book “On Top of the World – Climbing Mount Everest” in K-8 classrooms by not reading specific sections about harm or death on Mount Everest.

The district says the modifications are in accordance with three Governing Board Policies: 5-207 – Curriculum Adoption, 5-223 – Instructional Protocols for Controversial Topics and 1-204 – Prohibition of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).

The process of adopting the curriculum began in January of last year. The curriculum was approved by the Governing Board in May, after a 60-day public review and input from educators and community members.

One parent who says she participated in that process now questions whether families understood what could later be removed, telling ABC15 in a text:

“I think it’s a testament for parents to get engaged while these decisions are being made because now we are seeing the effects on school campuses with curriculum being implemented and having certain things taken out that if informed earlier, parents could have vocalized concerns.”

As students are now working from an online portal, Governing Board President Jeff Tobey tells ABC15 that the Board is monitoring the material and turning off online elements that do not meet the standards the textbook committee set. He adds that custom-made textbooks are expected to be delivered to classrooms next year.

Governing Board member Janelle Bowles says the Board knew material conflicting with district policy could be “shut off” at the district level.

She says parents, teachers, and students have reported profanity, sexually explicit content, and DEI-related lessons in online materials.

Regarding the Board’s policy to remove DEI materials, she writes in a statement:

“Simply stated, students should earn their grades and their scholarships by merit and not based on race or the color of their skin.”

Edward Vargas, an Associate Professor in ASU’s School of Transborder Studies, says debates over what belongs in classrooms are not new.

“History repeats itself, and we’ve had multiple times where we’ve had, whether it be school districts, whether it be state legislatures, whether it be governors, trying to screen out and remove text that they find or may find inappropriate,” he said.

Vargas says parents who disagree with the district’s decisions have options under Arizona Open Enrollment.

“Parents can vote with their feet, if you will, and move their kids into another district where maybe they feel that these particular readings and such conversations are important for their child’s development,” Vargas said.

Peoria Unified says families with concerns about what is taught in classrooms can contact its Learning and Teaching Department.

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