Assistant Principal Reads “I Need a New Butt” to Second Graders and Promptly Gets Fired

In August 2014, a new children's book titled "I Need a New Butt" was released and became an immediate best-seller according to Amazon.com.

My grandson, Bradley, just turned 8-years-old and like most boys his age, the word 'butt' is one of the funniest words in the English language. So why is it that when Toby Price, an assistant principal at the school, read this book to a class of second graders, he was fired?

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Mississippi is not one of the more progressive states in the country, and that's where the firing took place,  specifically at the Gary Road Elementary School in Jackson, Mississippi.

One hour after he read "I Need a New Buttt' to the kids, the school's superintendent placed Price on administrative leave. Two days later, he was terminated. Keep in mind that this book is one of the most popular children's books globally. This is what Gary Price told the Washington Post:

“It’s a funny, silly book. I'm a firm believer that … if kids see that books can be funny and silly, they’ll hang around long enough to see all the other cool things that books can be.”

The superintendent of schools in Jackson, Mississippi, Delesicia Martin wrote in Price's termination letter, "that he showed a lack of professionalism and impaired judgment because the topics described in this book were inappropriate.”

My personal opinion, for what it's worth is that Ms. Martin is way too uptight and living in the 1940s. The book is funny, it's relatable to second graders, and it promotes the fun of reading for elementary school kids. From 'Miss Erin's Bookshelf' on YouTube, give 'I Need a New Butt' a listen and let me know if you think it's inappropriate for children.