The report notes that The Mukilteo School District teachers are adamant that the classic novel, published in 1960, is "outdated and harmful."

Set in the deep South during the Great Depression, the book deals with themes of racial injustice, gender roles, and rape to name a few. While it was awarded the 1961 Pulitzer Prize for fiction and was voted the best book of the past 125 years by New York Times readers in 2021, it has long been criticised for use of racial slurs by characters, with critics also suggesting the novel relies too heavily on stereotypes.

The report notes that "Students shared their discomfort with the way the 1960 novel about racial injustice portrays Black people," adding "One Black teen said the book misrepresented him and other African Americans… Another complained the novel did not move her, because it wasn't written about her — or for her."

The Post adds that another student "spoke about how a White teen said the n-word aloud while reading from "Mockingbird," disobeying the teacher's instructions to skip the slur."