Rep Questions Man's Arrest for Protesting Jodi Picoult Novel

Two days after a Gilford father was arrested for protesting the Jodi Picoult novel "Nineteen Minutes" as proper assignment material for ninth-graders, a state lawmaker raised the prospect of legislative inquiry.

Rep. Neal Kurk, R-Weare, raised the issue as the New Hampshire House of Representatives concluded its session day May 7.

"To me this raises issues of freedom of speech and the appropriate role of local control," Kurk said from the House floor. "And the question I have is whether or not the Education Committee of the House might consider looking into this incident to see if, indeed, anything untoward or inappropriate occurred."

It was unclear what, if anything, the House Education Committee would do in connection with the local matter.

William Baer, a father in Gilford, was arrested after refusing to leave a school board meeting in which some parents were upset about Picoult's book being assigned. "Nineteen Minutes" examines a school shooting.

A day after Baer's arrest, the Gilford Public Library tweeted that all the copies of Picoult's book had been checked out.