Hamilton County Schools has removed “The Kite Runner” from a high school English class’s planned lessons after a parent raised concerns about the book’s graphic content.
The book had been chosen as supplemental material for a high school English class next quarter, the district said in a statement Tuesday. It was not part of the district’s curriculum or novel study list.
After hearing the complaint about the book’s content this past week, Superintendent Justin Robertson launched an immediate review, the district said. The teacher selected the text in good faith, based on resources that had been used in previous years and provided parents with the option to opt out.
Based on the review, the district decided that the book no longer met its standards for age-appropriate instructional content and removed the lesson, officials said.
“In this situation, I do agree that this book was not appropriate for the classroom setting,” Robertson said in a statement. “I’m proud of the diligent work of our teachers to challenge and inspire students through their commitment to rigorous instruction. When concerns are expressed, we use them as opportunities to reflect on whether classroom content aligns with our instructional goals and age-appropriate expectations. We believe rigorous content can and must coexist with respect for parents’ values.”
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The decision comes after a parent raised concerns during the public comment portion of Thursday’s school board meeting that the books her children had been assigned in their English classes contained content she deemed inappropriate. As part of her remarks, she read aloud a passage in “The Kite Runner” that describes the main character watching his friend be raped.
“The sex scene that I have just read is R-rated, and no one asked my permission to have my child read this,” Kelly Hubbard said. “He is not your child. He is mine. And I’m very disappointed in the teachers taking on roles of the parents and making decisions without our consent.”
She asked board members to stop putting R-rated content in front of children without their parents’ consent.
“I wholeheartedly believe this book should not be present in our classrooms, and we agreed there was a need for immediate action,” school board member Steve Slater, R-Soddy-Daisy, said in a statement Tuesday. “Parents have a right to know what is being taught and to have a voice in that process. I am glad that our team moved quickly and listened carefully. This is how we build trust.”
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini tells the story of a young boy growing up in Afghanistan before the Soviet occupation and then under the Taliban. It has frequently been challenged for its depictions of sexual violence and its use of explicit language. At least four Tennessee school districts removed the book during the 2024-25 school year, according to a tracker by PEN America.
In the statement, district officials reminded parents of the processes by which any instructional material can be reconsidered.
“Moving forward, we encourage parents and community members to review these policies and follow the approved process to engage with school leaders when they have concerns about the content of instructional materials,” the district said. “We will continue to respond quickly and thoughtfully when concerns arise, and we are committed to making sure families feel heard and respected throughout their child’s educational journey.”
In 2022, Tennessee state lawmakers passed the Age Appropriate Materials Act, which requires all public schools to maintain and publish a list of materials in school and classroom libraries, as well create a policy for developing and reviewing school library collections. It was updated in 2024 to require schools to remove materials containing nudity or descriptions of sexual excitement, sexual conduct, excess violence or sadomasochistic abuse.
Contact education reporter Shannon Coan at scoan@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6396.