Watch CBS News

District Investigates After 12-Year-Old Gets Novel With Sexual Passages From School Library

RANCHO CUCAMONGA (CBSLA.com) — Parents were shocked when they discovered a novel with erotic dialogue was being checked out and read by their children in their middle school's library.

The popular novel from the 1980s, "Rabbit is Rich" by famed author John Updike, has a number of graphic sexual scenes many parents say are unacceptable for younger readers to have access to.

"I wouldn't even want my kids to read it in high school," Rancho Cucamonga resident Monica Reyes said.

Another mother says that her 12-year-old daughter came home from Rancho Cucamonga Middle School one day with the adult novel, which she had checked out from the school's library.

The mother took to social media to voice her concern, sharing an erotic excerpt from the book, stating, "My 12 year old daughter brought home this book 'Rabbit is Rich' from Rancho Cucamonga Middle School library last week. She started reading it Monday and came to me concerned with the contents that were in the book. As I read it for myself, I became appalled by what I was reading as you can see for yourself.

"As a concerned parent as to why this book would be in a kids school in the first place, I went directly to the principal's office the very next day and the district."

The school's assistant superintendent notified CBS2 that the book had been donated, rather than purchased by the school for use, and that a complete audit of all other books is underway.

The school further conducted an investigation into the matter after a conversation with the student's parent, who had notified the school about the book.

Rancho Cucamonga Middle School's principal immediately removed the book from the school's library. After the investigation, if it is determined that the book had been checked out by other students, those students' parents will be notified.

The principal also audited the library in order to ensure that no other titles by Updike remained, and all other schools in the district were notified to remove all titles by the author.

As for preventing the incident from occurring in the future, the district's assistant superintendent stated that the district will work closely with all associated schools to review the procedures for book donations, and parents will be notified about a revised process for accepting those donations.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.