Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor:
Your editorial about the Keith Haring exhibit at the Reading Public Museum made my point that the Reading School District is not responsible for the decision of which works of art are exhibited there, even though the school district owns the museum.

The premise of your editorial seemed to be that because the district does not financially support the museum, it should not have a say in which artwork is exhibited. You mentioned some $10,000-$15,000 in district contributions to the museum, although you dismissed this amount as insignificant. However, it is significant that the museum, as a public facility, does not pay real estate taxes. Additionally, the taxpayers pay for the museum's water and sewer bills. It is reasonable, therefore, for the district at least to question the appropriateness of the exhibit, especially because the district sends it's schoolchildren there.

Indeed, all I did was to ask* whether, under it's contract with the museum, the district could distance itself from the exhibit. It would seem that in the spirit of opposing "censorship", you would not have criticized me for exercising my right as a school director to ask appropriate legal questions.

William Cinfici
Reading School Director
1238 Linden st.
Reading,Pa 19604

* In Amy Anuszewski's otherwise accurate article, she reported that I made a statement that the district should distance itself from the exhibit, but a review of the videotape would reveal that I put it in the form of a question to the district's solicitor.