Scholastic Refutes Self-Censorship Charge
Scholastic issued a statement Monday afternoon denying charges by PEN and NCAC that it engaged in self-censorship when it withdrew 'A Birthday Cake for George Washington' from the market. The company said it pulled the book because it did not meet the company's standards.
PEN and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) issued a statement on Friday, January 22, 2016, questioning Scholastic for withdrawing the book, A Birthday Cake for George Washington, stating that the decision to cease distribution of the book in response to the controversy is "a shocking and unprecedented case of self-censorship."
In response, Scholastic said that pulling the children's title from stores was not the result of criticism, but because the title was not aligned with the company's standards for "appropriate presentation of complex subject matter in a picture book directed to young children."
