Curriculum war erupts in Chicago suburb

CHICAGO, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- Some suburban Chicago high school parents are using the Internet to battle school officials over curriculum they consider inappropriate.

Disgruntled residents of Northwest Suburban High School District 214 started a Web site called "Citizens for Quality Education," partly in response to the school board's failure to remove nine books from school reading lists, the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald reports.

Heading the effort is resident Bruce Tincknell of Prospect Heights who backed a school board candidate opposing some books on the reading list, including Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five," as inappropriate for high school students.

Earlier Tincknell urged the school board to halt production of the play "The Laramie Project," which deals with the slaying of a young gay man, Matthew Shepard, the newspaper said.

School district officials did not comment to the Daily Herald on the new Internet site, saying it doesn't violate any policy.

Site organizers told the newspaper the purpose is to provide information about what is happening at district high schools and give interested parties a method of communication.