Virginia School System Did Not Ban Dr. Seuss
The Claim
Dr. Seuss has been “canceled” by a Virginia school system.
News posted on
Emerging story
This past week, multiple media outlets including Fox and The Daily Wire, have reported that beloved children’s book author, Dr. Seuss, has been “canceled” by the Loudoun Public School System in Virginia.
The news led many social media users to worry that Dr. Seuss’ books were being banned. It was interpreted as an act of censorship, linking it with the larger problem of “cancel culture.”
Misbar’s Analysis
The Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) issued an official statement on February 27th, saying that Seuss’ books have not been banned; they are still available to students in libraries and classrooms.
The authors of the statement speculated that rumors started because of the approaching “Read Across America Day,” which was originally linked to Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2nd. The day had previously been a celebration of Seuss, but in recent years, the NEA has asked schools to broaden their scope, encouraging students to read all types of books.
This year’s “Read Across America Day,” follows the release of a new study called, “The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti-Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss's Children's Books.” Its researchers investigated instances of anti-Asian and anti-Black caricatures in the children’s books, including an alleged connection between the The Cat in the Hat, and Blackface minstrelsy.
LCPS cited this study as motivation behind a choice to no longer connect "Read Across America Day" exclusively with Dr. Seuss. Their statement reads, “We continue to encourage our young readers to read all types of books that are inclusive, diverse and reflective of our student community, not simply celebrate Dr. Seuss.”
Authors of the study Katie Ishizuka and Ramon Stephens also emphasize that they’re not trying to ban Dr. Seuss: “It's not about reading or not reading certain books, it’s about raising awareness around the social and systemic bias that such books promote,” Stephens said.
Multiple media outlets had highlighted an education advocacy group called "Learning for Justice" in their coverage, with Fox stating they were "behind a pressure campaign against the celebrated children's author." However, an article posted to the group's website suggested that teachers shouldn't altogether stop teaching Dr. Seuss, but should invite these findings into classroom conversations about his books. "If you’re thinking you need to burn your favorite copy of The Sneetches or The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, I’d really rather that you didn’t," the author writes. "If you’re thinking you need to have some important conversations with your students? You’re absolutely right."
Because neither LCPS or the NEA have restricted the availability of Dr. Seuss' books, and because criticizing his work is different from banning it, we rank the orginal claim to be misleading.
