Here’s an excerpt from Doug’s journal: I was shocked when, with my team of writers, the publisher said “no” to our unit on HIV/AIDS education and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. It was,...

Here’s an excerpt from Doug’s journal:

I was shocked when, with my team of writers, the publisher said “no” to our unit on HIV/AIDS education and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. It was, we thought, a sensitive unit that raised much needed awareness.

The publisher said they would never be able to market the book with that unit in it. It was too “offensive.” Was the publisher (from a marketing viewpoint) justified in their decision? Is there a line between being too offensive (and upsetting students) and being so bland in our topics and issues that students lose interest? How can you introduce controversial topics in a sensitive way?