School District Changes Policy After BOE Member's Book Upsets Parents

School officials have called for a new policy after receiving complaints from parents over an incident earlier this month involving a member of the Board of Education.

Board chairman Kerrie Flanagan opened Wednesday night's board meeting by saying that she'd received several complaints following the Brewster Loves to Read event at Brewster Elementary School on March 1.

Although Flanagan did not provide specific details of the incident, several parents contacted Patch to say they were upset over board member Jeremy Renninghoff's decision to read Struwwelpeter, a German children's book, to young students attending the event.

The parents called the book "inappropriate" for the students.

Flanagan, Renninghoff and Superintendent Susan Viccaro met after the incident was brought to the school district's attention.

"We all agreed that that wasn't a very appropriate selection for the reading," Flanagan said.

"In order to try to make sure that we have better knowlege of what's being read and to prevent that kind of thing from happening again we have agreed that at that and any smimilar type of event, reading materials will be pre-approved by the administration and the building principals prior to the event," she continued.

"It will allow us to make sure that the material is age and curriculum appropriate," Flanagan said.

Reached last week, Renninghoff said he'd been read the book as a young boy and valued the lessons the stories told. He did not comment on Wednesday night.

Each year, public officials, board members and other local residents volunteer to read to students at the family event.

"Unfortunately it's something that happened," Flanagan said. "We can't change it but we can try to make sure it doesn't happen again. That issue is hopefully resolved."