And another thing …

A closed book. Bring junior high school students and educators together for a conversation about sex and you have a recipe for classroom discomfort. So, fearful that students might raise awkward questions, Spokane Public Schools officials have delayed a decision about buying a popular state history book that includes a photo and profile of Spokane Mayor Jim West. (If you missed it, West has been embroiled in a controversy over his use of the Internet to solicit dates with high school age boys.)

The fact is, West is mayor of Spokane and, yes, kids do ask questions. Not a bad thing in a learning environment. Those realities don’t reflect badly on the textbook.

The problem with “The State We’re In: Washington” is that the profile is so fawning it reads like a campaign brochure. Adolescents learning history would benefit from an exposure to the controversy that surrounds political leaders, even when the controversy has nothing to do with sex. Scandal or no scandal, a credible history book would have acknowledged that facet of West’s political career.

Divorced from reality. When Spokane County Superior Court Judge Paul Bastine rescinded the divorce of Shawnna J. Hughes, pundits nationwide pounced with commentary that rendered the judge a Neanderthal who forced a pregnant woman to stay with her abusive husband.

But a three-judge appellate ruling upheld Bastine’s decision this week, which came as no surprise to those who bothered to read the details of the case.

Between the initial ruling and the appeal, the state Legislature passed a law making it illegal to cite pregnancy in delaying or denying a divorce. That’s fine, but it isn’t all that relevant to Bastine’s ruling, which was about due process rights and the state’s interest in child custody when a mother is receiving state assistance.

Bastine has since retired, but he can take satisfaction in knowing that he won’t be defined by the emotional hijacking of this case.