Texas teacher fired for showing Anne Frank graphic novel to eighth-graders

The graphic novel, written by Ari Folman and illustrated by David Polonsky, adapts the diary of 13-year-old Anne Frank, who wrote while hiding in an annexe in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam.

The district sent an email to parents on Tuesday, notifying them that the book, which district officials say was not approved, would no longer be read.

By Wednesday, district officials had emailed parents, informing them that the teacher had been fired following an investigation into the incident.

District officials have not released details about the incident, including which school the teacher taught in.

A spokesperson for Hamshire-Fannett ISD declined to comment on the incident during a phone call with the Guardian.

Notably, this particular graphic novel has been subject to book bans before.

The latest firing in Texas comes as education laws restricting teaching of race, sexuality and other topics are being implemented in classrooms across the US.

The Republican governor, Greg Abbott, signed legislation in 2021 severely limiting how educators can teach topics of race and gender. Texas has also banned more books than any other state, with more than 430 books banned in Texas schools.

Robison added that many Texas teachers are experiencing fear, anger and anxiety about navigating restrictions in the classroom.