Censorship is a fight writers have faced since the advent of literature. Recently, to prevent students from being exposed to sensitive material, schools have removed certain titles from their reading lists, including “13 Reasons Why.”

Following the release of the Netflix series, controversy regarding whether “13 Reasons Why” is appropriately depicting the topic of suicide or if it is downplaying it has emerged.

Because of the attention the series received, the English department decided to remove the book from the summer reading list this upcoming year. Department chair DeeAnn Andershock wants to make the reasoning behind the removal of the book clear.

“We made the decision to pull the book not because we don’t believe the book is worthy, but because of the national furor over the TV series,” Andershock said.

Antioch has read “13 Reasons Why” for years and has performed the play twice. They have had no issues, despite the story’s sensitive subject matter. However, with recent attention in the media, the English department wants to take precautions.

“We didn’t want students to read the book in isolation; we want teachers and counselors to be readily available to students who may need support while reading it,” Andershock said.

Antioch is not banning students from reading the book on their own time, but is rather taking precautions for the safety and well-being of its students in the school setting.