To Say or Not to Say

I would personally go with the third option with a little bit of qualification. I would still discuss the controversy, but in the context of explaining why we weren't going to say it in class. I have grown up being taught that the n-word is a bad word and that it shouldn't be said in any context, and likewise I would not want it said comfortably in my classroom. But, it would also bring up the interesting topic of curse words and how they are used in literature, if they serve any actual purpose, and what they do to the story and characters. Whether or not I give power to the n-word by not saying it, I believe it is better to not single out or alienate students the classroom.