WILMINGTON -- The Color Purple will continue to be part of the curriculum for certain English classes in Brunswick County. The board voted 3-2 on Friday after more than two hours of debate to keep Alice Walker's highly regarded 1982 novel in schools until they can revisit the issue at a later date. Chris Brook, Legal Director of the ACLU of NC says there was apparently another piece of literature that drew some debate in Brunswick County.

Brook said, "The one thing that jumped out at me was that one of the supporters of removing this from the curriculum also highlighted that, when she had been a student at Brunswick County Schools, was offended by Romeo and Juliet."

Brunswick Commissioner Pat Sykes has pushed for the book to be removed over language and content she finds objectionable. The book is on reading lists for 11th-grade Advanced Placement English at West Brunswick High School.