A local round of the National Civics Bee in Schuylkill Haven took an unexpected turn when State Senator David Argall posed an inappropriate question to a 12-ye
A local round of the National Civics Bee in Schuylkill Haven took an unexpected turn when State Senator David Argall posed a question to a 12-year-old participant that many are calling inappropriate. The event, held on Wednesday, featured students presenting and defending essays on various civics issues.
One sixth grader, who had successfully advanced through two rounds, was prepared to defend her essay on the topic of book bans. The student, unfamiliar with the term, sought clarification from Argall, who explained it as "naked pictures in a book." Samantha Schreffler, who attended the event with her 5-year-old daughter, expressed disappointment in Argall's handling of the situation. "It changed the atmosphere. He could have taken the guilt right there and made it known that he messed up, but unfortunately, he didn’t," Schreffler said. In response to the incident, Senator Argall issued a statement apologizing to the student, her family, and all participants, saying in part, "In hindsight, my obvious mistake was in citing an example that was itself not appropriate for this age group, a mistake which I will not make again," Argall said.During last night’s local round of the National Civics Bee, I posed a question as a volunteer judge to a participant that was not age-appropriate for this setting. I apologize to the young lady, her family, and all the participants who worked hard to get to this point, with excellent presentations by the students who submitted entries on book bans and many other important subjects. I was attempting to ask if some books and magazines are not appropriate for some age groups, a subject which has received considerable attention in the General Assembly in recent years. In hindsight, my obvious mistake was in citing an example that was itself not appropriate for this age group, a mistake which I will not make again.
Erin Anderson Inappropriate Question Senator Argall National Civics Bee Audience Reaction Book Bans Controversy Newsletter Daily Local Age-Appropriate
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