Victorian schools pull popular Coraline book from curriculum amid Neil Gaiman allegations

Mount Alexander College is one of several schools to have pulled a Neil Gaiman novel from English reading lists after the best-selling author was accused of sexual assault and human trafficking.

Victorian schools have pulled author Neil Gaiman’s book Coraline from the curriculum following allegations made against the author.

Well-known Neil Gaiman novel Coraline has been pulled from the curriculum at multiple Victorian schools, after the best-selling author was accused of human trafficking and sexual assault.

Mount Alexander College in Flemington is among several schools that have “removed the text” from its English syllabus, while a slew of others are considering whether they should do the same.

The school canned the text after eight women, including the British author’s babysitter and nanny Scarlett Pavlovich, came forward with a number of sexual assault allegations made against Gaiman last month, which he has denied.

Ms Pavlovich filed a federal court lawsuit in Wisconsin on Monday, accusing Gaiman of sexually assaulting her while she was working for the family. She also accused Gaiman of rape, coercion and human trafficking.

The book was canned at Mount Alexander College after sexual assault allegations against author Neil Gaiman emerged.

In a letter sent to parents seen by the Herald Sun, Mount Alexander College English teaching and learning leader Luke Richardson said the book would be removed “in response to this unfolding situation”.

“Several women have recently accused Gaiman of sexual assault and abuse. Some of these accusations are graphic in nature,” he said.

“Neil Gaiman is a high-profile author, and these allegations have been extensively covered in the media.

“We encourage parents and carers to discuss these complex matters with care and sensitivity as is appropriate to each individual child and family.”

Mr Richardson said Coraline would be replaced with a collection of short stories which could be “freely accessed by teachers and students” to reduce the financial burden on families, including some who already purchased the book which costs on average $12.

“The decisions to remove the text from the curriculum is a difficult one and we understand the financial impacts on families,” Mr Richardson said.

More schools have since come forward saying they’re considering also dumping the book,

after fresh allegations emerged against Gaiman.

One of these schools was St Kevin’s College, with a spokesman for the school saying the college was aware of the allegations made against Gaiman and was considering “whether it was appropriate to study the text” as a result.

“It is yet to be introduced in Year 7 English classes,” he said.

“The feedback from the Victorian Association for the Teachers of English (VATE) will be instructive in this process.”

Mount Alexander College is now offering a collection of short stories free of charge for its students to study.

The book is being studied at a number of government schools around the state, mostly in year 7.

A Department of Education spokesman said the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority and the department “do not set prescribed texts for primary school or Year 7-11”.

This means state schools can select or remove texts for study at any time.

The fictional book is about young girl Coraline Jones who discovers a hidden door in her new home that leads to an alternate world that seems perfect, until her parents try to trap her there.

Gaiman is also known for his notable books The Sandman, The Graveyard Book, Stardust, Neverwhere and American Gods.

Originally published as Victorian schools pull popular Coraline book from curriculum amid Neil Gaiman allegations