FOOTNOTES:
[922] American Federation of Labor, Report of the Proceedings of the Convention of the American Federation of Labor at Cincinnati, June 22, 1922, Eighth Day Proceedings (Washington, D. C., 1922).
F. WISCONSIN LAW OF 1923 AFFECTING HISTORY TEXTBOOKS[923]
An Act To create section 40.36 of the statutes, relating to textbooks used in the public schools.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. A new section is added to the statutes to be numbered and to read: 40.36 (1) No history or other textbook shall be adopted for use or be used in any district school, city school, vocational school or high school which falsifies the facts regarding the war of independence, or the war of 1812 or which defames our nation’s founders or misrepresents the ideals and causes for which they struggled and sacrificed, or which contains propaganda favorable to any foreign government.
(2) Upon complaint of any five citizens filed with the state superintendent of public instruction that any history or other textbook which is being used in any district school, city school, vocational school or high school contains any matter prohibited by subsection (1) of this section, the state superintendent shall fix a time for a public hearing upon such complaint, which shall be not more than thirty days from the date of filing said complaint, and shall be conducted either by the state superintendent or the assistant state superintendent, or by one of the state inspectors of schools, to be designated by the state superintendent, and which hearing shall be held at the county seat of the county where the complainants reside. Notice of such hearing shall be given at least ten days prior to the date thereof through the public press and by registered mail to the complainants, the school board interested and to the publishers of such textbook.
(3) Within ten days after such hearing the state superintendent shall make a finding upon such complaint. If he finds that any textbook contains matter prohibited in subsection (1) of this section, he shall make note of such finding in the list of textbooks which he is required by paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 40.35 annually to publish and to transmit to all county and city superintendents. No such textbook shall thereafter be placed on the list of textbooks which may be adopted, sold or exchanged in this state.
(4) Every school board, board of education, board of vocational education, or county board of education which has control over the textbooks used in any district school, city school, vocational school, or high school, shall cause any textbook which the state superintendent has found contains matter prohibited in subsection (1) of this section to be withdrawn from use in such school prior to the opening of the school year following the publication of such finding of the state superintendent. No state aid under the provisions of sections 20.25, 20.26, 20.27, 20.28, 20.29, 20.33 and 20.335 of the statutes shall be paid for the support of any district school, city school, vocational school or high school during any year in which any such textbook is used in such school after the finding of the state superintendent.
Section 2. This act shall take effect upon passage and publication.