Related articles:

Legislature allows students to opt out of reading material they find offensive or pornographic

Other articles by Howard Fischer:

Burns: Brewer bungling her job House approves boost in funding for those seeking office next year 3 recommended to Brewer to fill seat on high court AZ can enact own greenhouse gas regsRecession reins in sprawl Pet bills aplenty pouring forth from Legislature Brewer wants budget right away, but not those other, lesser bills Flat-tax plan could hit walletsRepeal of ban on sparklers nears final OK Ballot-imposed limits on lawmakers battled

General
A1 Communications
Cable Techs Health Care
Sierra Tucson
Eating Disorders Program Coordinator Trades/Construction
RANCHO RESORT
MAINTANANCE POSITION

PHOENIX — A Senate committee voted Wednesday to let university and community-college students opt out of required reading assignments they consider personally offensive or pornographic.

But lawmakers are having trouble figuring out how broad to make that exception.

The legislation stems from complaints by Christina Trefzger, who attended community colleges and Arizona State University. She said some required reading assigned by instructors is morally unacceptable to some.

"A lot of students are being forced to choose between their personal or religious beliefs and the demands of education," she told members of the Senate Committee on Higher Education on Wednesday.

One specific complaint was aimed at "The Ice Storm," a novel dealing with adults and children experimenting with sex, drugs and suicide. Trefzger described it as a "pretty sexually graphic book."

Sen. Thayer Verschoor, R-Gilbert, said he also heard complaints from a Maricopa Community College student.

"There's no defense of this book," he said. "I can't believe that anyone would come up here and try to defend that kind of material."

Doyle Burke, an English and humanities instructor at Mesa Community College, did not try to do that. But he said the proposed legislation is flawed.

He pointed out it would allow a student to demand alternative materials for anything considered "personally offensive." And that would include anything in the course, materials or activities that "conflicts with the student's beliefs or practices in sex, morality or religion."

Burke said letting each student in a class raise objections — and demand alternative materials — would make it impossible to maintain the integrity of the course.

Sen. Harry Mitchell, D-Tempe, said he fears the measure will let students shield themselves from foreign ideas. "The purpose of education is exposure, to new ideas, to new ways of thinking," he said.

Mitchell said by the time students reach college their views should be firm enough to withstand alternative ideas.

Verschoor said the legislation will require work to narrow its scope before it goes to the full Senate. But he is not optimistic professors and instructors are willing to let students opt out of anything "because of the whole academic freedom thing."

Sen. Jake Flake, R-Snowflake, agreed that students should be exposed to ideas they may find offensive. In his own case Flake, a rancher, said his college courses included ideas from environmentalists and others who he believes are wrong.

He said, though, no one should have to be exposed to "pornography and smut."

But Sen. Toni Hellon, R-Tucson, said using that standard may not solve the problem to everyone's satisfaction.

"What is pornography?" she asked. Hellon said what one person considers pornographic may not be considered offensive by another.