Grosser v. Woollett

341 N.E.2d 356, 45 Ohio Misc. 15, 74 Ohio Op. 2d 233, 1974 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 200
CourtCuyahoga County Common Pleas Court
DecidedSeptember 20, 1974
DocketNo. 932,547
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 341 N.E.2d 356 (Grosser v. Woollett) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Grosser v. Woollett, 341 N.E.2d 356, 45 Ohio Misc. 15, 74 Ohio Op. 2d 233, 1974 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 200 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1974).

Opinion

McMonagle, J.

This is an action filed by Robert W. Grosser, John W. McCracken, Freddie L. Wells, A. L. Bingham and David R. Schaeffer, as citizens and .taxpayers of the Strongsville City School District, together with Sally Grosser, a juvenile; Jeffrey McCracken, a juvenile; Dreama Wells, a juvenile; and Michael Bingham, a juvenile, who are children of the first four aforenamed plaintiffs and which children are students of the Strongsville High School except the plaintiff, Jeffrey McCracken, who is a student at Central Junior High School.

The defendants are Richard Woollett, the President of the Strongsville Board of Education; Walter Ehrnfelt, Jr., David Elmer, Kenneth Ramsey, and Ellen J. Wong, members of the Board of Education; together with Dr. Edwin W. Boy, Superintendent of the Stronsgville City School District; Raymond J. Kestner, the Assistant Superintendent of the Strongsville City School District; Joseph Carter, Principal of Strongsville High School; and Carol Petersen, the Head of the English Department of the Strongsville High School.

[17]*17Plaintiffs are asking the court to issue a permanent injunction restraining and enjoining the defendants, and each of them, from using or assigning the books “Manchild in the Promised Land” by Claude Brown and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey, as part of the curriculum of the high school.

The book by Claude Brown is referred to herein as “Manchild” and the book by Ken Kesey is referred to as “Cuckoo.”

The. “Manchild” book consists of 429 pages and is Exhibit 1 herein. The “Cuckoo” book consists of 272 pages and is Exhibit 2 herein. The Court has read each of these books. “Manchild” is the autobiography of a black who tells of his childhood and adolescence in Harlem including descriptions of his participation in and , also abandonment of crime and drug action. It also narrates, his abandonment of the environment into which he was born and his completion of his high school and college education and entry into law school.

The cover of “Cuckoo” fairly describes it as a story of a lusty, profane, life-loving fighter who rallies the other patients in an insane asylum around, him by challenging the dictatorship of Big Nurse. The book is written in the first person by an inmate of the asylum, an Indian who simulates being deaf and dumb.

Words which are usually considered to be foul or dirty words are frequently used in the books. Incidents not normally the subject of conversation either in the home or in public gatherings are described. It was the testimony at the trial that when the books were discussed by the parties at public meetings that the speakers refrained from verbatim readings of words and passages. All witnesses at the trial were hesitant to use specific words that are contained in each of the books and testified that neither they, nor their families, did use them in the home. It was also the testimony at the trial that the books could be used in the classrooms and the meaning or import of the words, described without actually using the words themselves.

It is certain that many words and phrases used im[18]*18pelled the.plaintiffs to bring this action. -It is-also-certain that the-plaintiffs'áre . probably not aware of the full- contents-of-the records of the decisions of the Supreme Court of the United'States that have, to a large-extent, made it possible for the. current literature, - magazines, etc., to include much matter that had previously been outlawed. '

- The use of words and the descriptions of occurrences that a very few years'-ago were Objectionable and shocking, at times even unlawful, now are commonplace and some are definitely-not even"-taboo. These- include “damn” and “hell.” Many which are- now frequentlyused' in print, on the - television, on the stage- and-in the movies -are -still taboo for-ordinary-conversation-.- C

'• c'The word “shit” is described- by the witness, Petersen, as an epithet or-expletive mnd is not a pejorative... ' ’ :/l .

■ - The following is from the transcript of the testimony of Carol Gr-.- Petersen at page 43 :--' . . . -

“A: I don’t believe that it'is pejorative.' I.think it’s an epithet that is filled in in place of-a word-'that either'somebody‘can’t think'or doesn’t--have a replacement for.-
- S“Q. There’s no other words that-could'take:the place of that word in education? - -G .v ..
“A.-'- In the- intent behind' what this character is feeling at the time and in:his.circumstances','no. This is his level. ■
“Q. That does refer to human elimination functions, doesn’t it?' ■’ ' - - ' ■■ . .-v •
“A. It doesn’t have-to.
“Q. I asked you if it does.
“A. No.
“Q. What does:it refer to? '
“A.: It refers to a word that fills in for what he doesn’t have, you know, another word. . ' . ' ... ■>,.
“He wouldn’t say feces, becausé it’s not-a word-in his vocabulary. - A
“It doesn’t mean feces ;‘whát it really means is junk, red tape, you know, all the stuff that you have to go through to get anywhere, is what he means.
“Q. Then this word doesn’t mean what it says?
“A. Basicálly that’s true when you talk about some of these epithets.”

[19]*19Simply because many words contained in the books .are in the dictionary and also used by some individuals does not make them less offensive to the current prevailing standards in the local adult community.

Plaintiffs contend that each of the said books is harmful to juveniles, obscene, demeaning, pornographic, offensive and depraved; that each book tends to appeal, to the prurient interest of juveniles; contains a display, description, or representation of sexual activity, masturbation, sexual excitment, or nudity; contains a display, description, or representation of bestiality or extreme or bizarre violence, cruelty, or brutality; contains a display, description, or representation of human bodily functions of elimination; makes repeated use of foul language; contains lurid detail of violent physical torture, and the description of criminal activity which tends to glorify or glamorize such activity and with respect to juveniles has a dominant tendency to corrupt. ■

. Defendants deny that the use of said books is harmful to juveniles and that their contents are such as to have a dominant tendency to corrupt juveniles.

The use of said books has been recommended by the head of the English Department who will teach the subject courses, the Superintendent of the Schools, the Assistant Superintendent and the high- school principal.

A Citizen’s Textbook Committee has been established by the Strongsville ..Board: of Education ,to review books suggested for use in the schools.. The Committee consists of sixteen members; one-citizen appointed by each of:.the five school,board members, and the presidents of the 'PTA Associations ;in the school- district., The-vote" of- the. Committee on “Manchild” was. five no objection, six .objection. The vote, on “.Cuckoo” w;as six no objection, three objection.and one,abstention., ,

There were two public hearings by the School Board and.

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Bluebook (online)
341 N.E.2d 356, 45 Ohio Misc. 15, 74 Ohio Op. 2d 233, 1974 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/grosser-v-woollett-ohctcomplcuyaho-1974.