Alice Munro Books Still Available in London Schools Despite Controversy

Alice Munro's literary works continue to be accessible to students in London, Ontario, according to local school boards. This decision comes after shocking revelations that Munro chose to stay with her husband despite knowing he sexually abused her daughter.

The Thames Valley District School Board made it clear that they do not ban books. According to Purveen Skinner, the board’s superintendent of student achievement, they have a resource decision-making tool to guide school-level decisions around library book selections, which focuses on cultural safety and respects teachers' professional judgment.

The London District Catholic School Board also echoed a similar stance. Mark Adkinson, a spokesperson for the board, mentioned that reading lists are determined by individual teachers or departments, using a discernment tool for evaluating resources.

The controversy erupted after Munro's daughter, Andrea Robin Skinner, revealed that she experienced sexual abuse from her stepfather in their Clinton-based home. Despite learning about the abuse, Munro decided to stay in her marriage to Gerald Fremlin. Skinner, who lived with her father in British Columbia but visited her mother during summers, first faced the abuse when she was nine years old.

In 2005, Skinner reported the abuse to the police, which led to Fremlin, then 80, pleading guilty to indecent assault. Despite this, Munro sided with her husband before the abuse was publicly reported.

Megan Walker, an advocate for victims of sexual and domestic violence and former head of the London Abused Women’s Centre, stated that she does not support a ban on Munro's books, arguing that reading controversial materials can provide learning opportunities.

Last month, Western University took a step by pausing the Alice Munro chair in creativity, which was created after Munro won the Nobel Prize in 2013. This role was meant to lead the creative culture within the faculty of arts and serve as a bridge between the university and the local creative community. Additionally, a fall 2024 class that was to be taught by the appointee has been canceled.

In a statement, Ileana Paul, Western’s acting dean of the faculty of arts and humanities, expressed support for Skinner and acknowledged her painful experience.

The Ontario Ministry of Education has stated that they allow educators, schools, and school boards to choose which learning resources to use, as needed to best meet the needs of their students.