Updated Feb 5, 2010 - 2:17 pm
School cuts out "offensive" parts of Snow White
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KIRO Radio
Snow White might seem like an innocent enough story, but it has some wondering if it's violating human dignity and promoting bullying.
Kirkland's Robert Frost Elementary school is set to perform "Snow White in the Black Forest," but they've cut some parts out.
"Essentially, the kids were asked to laugh at put-downs when that's what they were really trying to get kids not to do," said Lake Washington School district spokeswoman Kathryn Reith.
Andrea Duffield, the mother of a fourth grader who plays a bunny in the school play, said several minor parts of the play were censored: a hand gesture to indicate craziness, calling someone senile, and changing the name Dimwitty, and a tune about tall people.
"I was pretty frustrated by it. It just seemed excessive to me," Duffield told KIRO Radio's Dori Monson.
Duffield said she talked to the principal, director of schools, and president of the school board. "The school district and the principal said that the play would be performed in front of younger children. The principal stated that she didn't think those children could make those differentiation."
Duffield said she believes kids are lot smarter than they're given credit for. "If my daughter hears someone call someone else stupid, it doesn't mean she's going to turn around outside of the theatrical event and call someone else stupid."
"I call it the wuss-ification of our children," said one parent John Stubs. He thinks the district over-reacted. "I think our kids really need to learn how to deal with things in life. If somebody teases them, it's part of growing up. You have to learn how to deal with that."
Joan Bertin, Executive Director of the National Coalition Against Censorship, agrees. "You just can't wipe out undesirable behavior from literature and expect it to disappear. In fact, a play about it helps them realize what they're doing."
The school says the play is essentially part of the curriculum and they can make changes.
- Listen: Dori Monson interviews Lake Washington School District spokeswoman Kathryn Reith
- Listen: Kathy Duffield, parent at Robert Frost Elementary School
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